


Everfalls

by Stellar_Alley



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Eddie Kaspbrak - Freeform, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Fluff, Gay, Hybrid - Freeform, Hybrids, Kinda, M/M, Richie Tozier - Freeform, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Slow Burn, Sonia Kaspbrak's A+ Parenting, Superpowers, Werewolf, eddie is half rabbit, he's got cute ears and everything, powers, supernaturel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:34:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 62,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24209041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stellar_Alley/pseuds/Stellar_Alley
Summary: In a world where supernatural creatures live in hidden secret societies invisible to the human eye, Eddie Kasbrak, a rabbit hybrid, breaks one of the main rules inforced by The Council. So he runs away from his home and follows in his dad's footsteps to Derry. That's where he meets the town's resident werewolf, and trashmouth, Richie Tozier. Eddie is determined to help Richie through his first full moon, but at what cost? What happens when his past finally catches up to him? Will he be able to keep their secret hidden?Find out in, Everfalls.~This is based off of the artwork by oceanteeeth on Instagram!Also shout out to my Beta super.rose.cosplays!
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 46
Kudos: 56





	1. =~•Chapter 1•~=

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of the artwork by oceanteeeth on Instagram!  
> Shout out to my Beta super.rose.cosplays!  
> Also, don't forget to check out my Instagram Stellar.Cosplays and my Tumblr stellar-alley if you want to see more of me and what goes on in my life!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I'm beyond excited to finally show this to the world! I really hope y'all enjoy this as I've had a blast writing it. Enjoy!

_ Humans _

The species that rules the earth, or so they thought.

They believed that they were the only creatures that walked this earth along with the animals they studied over the years, but that's where they're wrong.

Little did they know that an entire civilization has been living under their noses for god knows how long. Beings of all sorts, some a cross between animals the humans are used to, some completely new and others only known to the humans as myths.

If humans were to venture into the darkness of their forests or to the depths of the oceans, then perhaps they'd get a glimpse of the world of the Ancestor Realm, but the Ancestors have yet to be spotted by humans, and they plan on keeping it that way. The Ancestor Realm is the name of their realm, but each little group and village has a name of its own.

_ Hidden deep within a forest on the coast of Maine is a small cliffside village called The All Lands, that is where our story begins. _

_ ~ _

The ocean waves crashed up against the rocks below, creating a soothing white noise that aided the creature to clear his head. He sat a couple of feet away from the edge of the cliff, close enough to look over and watch the waves but far enough away to not be worried about falling to his death.

His eyes were red and puffy, his nose sniffly which prompted him to wipe it every couple minutes with the sleeve of his sweater. He tried to even out his breaths, lower his heart rate, but the anxious feelings that reverberated through his entire body made it hard to do either.

A cool spring breeze came off of the ocean and blew past the boy, helping cool his overheated body and even out his breathing. The wind blew through his hair making his ears tingle, his rabbit ears that is.

Every Ancestor had something special about them that separated them from humans, and this was Eddie's. Like his mother and his late father, he was a hybrid. Eddie was half rabbit, which meant he had long and floppy, fuzzy rabbit ears instead of normal stubby human ears. They started off white as snow, then faded to a shade of brown that matched his hair as he grew. Not only did he have the ears but he also had a small little rabbit tail that poked out from the gap between where his shirt ended and pants began. It had a top coat of fur that was brown with a white undercoat. Currently, it was tucked into the fold of his sweater as the wind caused it to go cold.

He let out a sigh of defeat, his bunny ears faltered and fell from their upright stance to frame his face. A thought crossed his mind as he scanned the landscape below.

_ This is it _

He thought as he watched the ocean below. The dark waves reflected the continuously darkening sky above, which threatened a storm.

_ I'm done for _

_ This is how I go _

_ And to think... _

_ All I wanted to do was help _

Once that thought crossed his mind, a voice broke the silence and snapped him out of his thoughts, "Eddie bear! Darling where did you go? Get back inside this instant!" His mother shouted from the back porch of their small seaside cottage.

Eddie hesitated only for a moment, then proceeded to get up and head back towards the house. He knew his mother’s anger would only grow the longer he stayed outside, especially with that storm beginning to roll in. As he stepped inside he was greeted by the warm air from the fireplace and the sweet smell of his mother's homemade stew which Sonia Kaspbrak was in the middle of stirring. Without making eye contact with his mother the boy took his normal seat at the dinner table.

He only lifted his gaze to meet hers when she handed him his bowl of stew, "Mommy, I said I was sorry" his voice was low and sad.

Sonia's voice gained a new level of frustrated anger, "Well it doesn't matter, sorry won't do it, Eddie. You broke the number one rule, you revealed our existence to the humans-"

"The man was gonna die!"

"He died anyways! Because of  _ you _ , I told you to stay inside and you disobeyed me, you went to go help that dirty bird" She seethed, "And you know that there's only one way the council deals with criminals, correct?" She knew Eddie knew, yet she still asked.

"I don't see how helping an innocent man can be worthy of the death penalty! Mommy, he was hurt and I just wanted to help him-" He was cut off when his mother trapped him in a tight hug.

"Oh I know Eddie Bear, but by helping him you showed him The All Lands. I wish I could fight the council sweety but once they've made a decision there's no getting out of it" Once she released him from the hug he was able to breathe again.

Eddie took his seat once again, this time he never took his eyes off of the bowl before him. "So what? Tomorrow they'll come and take me away... And that's it?" He wondered in defeat. Sadly in response, all Sonia Kaspbrak gave was a simple shrug.

"You know that's why your father left... The same reason, he tried to help someone and that got him-" Eddie stopped listening, it was a speech he'd heard thousands of times before. She recited the same story every time Eddie did something she didn't approve of. Whether he wandered too deep into the forest, sat too close to the water, asked about the human world, it always resulted in the story of how his father, Frank Kaspbrak, died at the hands of the council.

Frank did a lot of things to spite the council due to his burning hatred for them and their laws. He'd sneak out and heal wounded men in the forest and help lost dogs find their homes or owners. Eddie never saw those as mistakes, the only mistake he made was the day Frank told Sonia about his little outings, she was the one who gave the tip to the council about his doings, that ended in the death of Frank. That night Eddie made a secret oath to always help those in need, human or not. So it’s kind of fitting that Eddie would see the same fate as his father, am I right?

Although that night after supper, Eddie laid in bed and had only one thought in his mind.

_ This is not the end _

_ Like hell, I'm letting these assholes take me like they took dad _

The hybrid slowly sat up and looked around his room. The moon lit it up enough to allow him to see around his room and most of its contents. His eyes darted from his wooden dresser to his closet, then in the corner of his room, a backpack caught his eye.

_ I've gotta get out of here _

The thought drove him to slip out of bed and tiptoe over to the backpack. He picked it up, then stopped moving entirely as his bunny ears shot up. Eddie knew what he had to do, and he wasn't going to make the same mistake his father had. No one was going to know. So he stood still for a minute or so and simply listened. He waited to hear his mother talking or something,  _ anything _ . But to his delight, the house was silent. By the position of the moon, he assumed it was 2 am, so he had to be quick and quiet.

First things first, he got out of his pyjamas and put on a black sweater and matching jeans. After he filled his bag with the essentials, clothes, utensils, water, and some food he had stashed in his room for when he got hungry. He also made sure to grab his father's old polaroid camera and some film,  _ gotta remember things somehow. _

He thought about turning the light on in his room to help him pack, but he didn’t want to risk anyone seeing it through his window. The All Lands was a place that functioned mainly off of nature, but that doesn't mean they didn’t use a bit of electricity. That is the one thing they credit the humans for. Although cell phones are only a myth, each house is equipped with lights, power, and a landline. Nothing too tech heavy, but that’s all they needed. 

Eddie sat with his bag open for a while as he felt he was missing  _ something _ . Unsure of what that something was, the bunny simply began scouring his room for that  _ something _ . From his dresser to his nightstand, he couldn't find it. He'd almost given up too, until he spotted a box that sat on the highest shelf of his closet. A shelf that was packed with old clothes and memories he didn't want to revisit.

Carefully, Eddie grabbed his desk chair and set it down in front of his closet. He grabbed the box with both hands and took it to his bed. The box was about the size of a shoebox, with a white lid and a maroon base. He slowly removed the lid and began examining its contents. He sucked in a breath as he realized who's box this was.

_ Dad... _

Immediately he recognized almost everything that sat before him. He grabbed the black beanie that laid on top, he held it close to him for a moment and took in a deep breath. Even after all this time it still smelled like him. He felt that hat and noticed there was an odd lump inside, a smirk appeared on his lips at the sight of a hefty wad of cash that was stored inside the hat, he placed it on his bed and thought,  _ Good one dad.  _ Eddie had to hold back the tears as he quickly put it on, sliding it over his bunny ears. This hat was the one that Frank always wore when he snuck out of town to go on his little missions.

Next was the compass, this was what broke Eddie. The tears slowly began to roll down his cheeks as he felt the cool metal on his skin, something he'd grown so used to in the past. It was made like a pocket watch, with a long metal chain and a little cover you had to click open with the button. That's what he did, he clicked it open to reveal a sight he had almost forgotten about. Yes, it was just a compass, but it was his dad's compass. The compass Frank used to bring out when he sat with Eddie and he'd teach his son how to use it, how to tell coordinates. And the stories! A couple more tears spilled from his eyes as he recalled the stories his father always had about his latest journey. Eddie would always beg for his father to tell him a story, and even if it was one he'd heard before, he'd still sit and listen to every little detail and beg for more afterwards.

He carefully closed the compass then put it around his neck and wore it like a necklace. The main compact sat comfortably against Eddie's chest as he leaned over the box to pick up the next object. It was a letter. The boy's heart sped up as he began reading the words Frank had written so many years ago.

_ ~ _

_ Dear Eddie _

_ Son, I'm terribly sorry that I must leave you like this. Please remember that this is not your fault, in any way, and that I love you. _

_ I hope that you find this before it's too late. Eddie, please, if you can, get out of here, this place isn't for you. This isn't your home. Don't listen to your mother. Trust me, you're so strong and powerful. You're a lot braver than you think. _

_ If you look in the box you'll see a map with couridants. Go there. Hiding there is something I never told  _ _ anyone _ _ about, not even your mother. You'll be safe, you'll be able to start a life there, you'll be able to  _ _ live _ _. _

_ I must be going now, I'm sorry I can't stay to watch you grow up Eddie. I know you're gonna do amazing things, so go, be great. And never, ever forget that I love you. _

_ Love you father, Frank Kaspbrak _

~

His father was right, there was a map, and photos, so many photos, from when Eddie was first born to the days before his father's death. That was the inspiration Eddie needed, the little push that got him up and out his bedroom window. Determined to keep everything together, he'd neatly packed everything from the box into a small bag to put into his backpack.

Escaping his house was the easy part, all he had to do was jump from his window (Bunny's always land on their feet) and get off the property. Leaving The All Lands was a little bit more difficult. It required the teen to hide behind houses and keep out of sight of guards and other commoners. His father must've been looking down on him because, by some miracle, Eddie escaped.

He knew he'd gotten out of The All Lands because the grass was much thicker on this side of the forest, without their magical powers keeping it at bay that caused it to become longer, darker. The scent was so much more prominent now, the pine trees and the early morning dew that'd set in. Eddie loved every second of it.

Word count 2302

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed the first chapter, leave a kudos and maybe a comment? Tell me what you thought of the first chapter! It really shows that you like my work and it gives me motivation to update!
> 
> I will see you all next Friday with Chapter 2!  
> Until then
> 
> So Long and Goodnight


	2. =~•Chapter 2•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie finds his father's best-kept secret.  
> Richie gets some well-awaited news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based off of the artwork by oceanteeeth on Instagram!  
> Also shout out to my Beta super.rose.cosplays!

He travelled about an hour northwest, he continued away from the ocean and deeper into the forest. At times it was almost too thick, but he kept going. The sun had begun to rise when Eddie stumbled upon a sign, 'Welcome To Derry'. He glanced down at his map, so close. And he was close. It took the boy a while to square in on the exact coordinates, but once he did, he knew he'd found his father's secret.

It was a house and a big one at that. It stood tall on the outskirts of the city. Far enough out that he could be one with nature and the residents of Derry wouldn't be a bother. Eddie stood in front of the house and let out a sigh laced with excitement and fulfillment. The moment he stepped onto the property he felt it, he felt the magic of a protection spell wash over him.

_ Smart one dad... _

The bunny looked around and he could practically see it, a forcefield of magic surrounded the house. It also made the house seemingly invisible to anyone that wasn't deemed worthy, which made sense, considering humans never wondered why there was a random house no one owned. By the way it simply let Eddie  _ pass  _ through, he assumed it was a blood spell. Meaning it only allowed those of the bloodline to pass through or anyone deemed worthy by the one who set the spell, or whoever it was passed onto. With that, he removed the beanie that sat on his head, allowing the cool spring breeze to flow through his hair and tickle his ears, it felt nice.

_ Well I guess this is mine now _

He smiled happily at the house that stood before him. The house was surprisingly fairly clean, the same way all the nature in The All Lands was always kept at bay,  _ magic _ . Yes, there was some dirt, dust and cobwebs, a broken window even, but it was nothing that Eddie hadn't dealt with in the past. As he walked through the house, he couldn't shake the familiar feeling that he wasn't alone. Somewhere, somehow, he knew his father was with him. Just being in the house-made him feel so much closer to Frank than ever before, with his hat, compass, and now the house.

Eddie did a quick walkthrough of the house. The main floor had the essentials, kitchen, living room, dining room and washroom. The upstairs had 3 bedrooms and a washroom. Eddie quietly placed his bag down on the bay window in the room at the front of the house. He liked the bay window and the bed seemed comfy, a little dusty but nothing a good cleaning won't fix. There was also a basement but Eddie got the chills just looking down the stairs, so he closed the door and decided to check it out another day.

As the bunny stood in the kitchen and admired his new house, he debated where to sit before he hoisted himself up and onto the counter. From there he sat and listened peacefully, the house settling, the birds chirping outside and the odd gust of wind that blew by. He stayed like that for a while, in complete harmony with his surroundings.

Suddenly his leg twitched, something that wasn't rare, but also not a coincidence. A moment later he felt that same twitch vibrate through his entire body. He hopped off the counter and shook it off. Quickly, he tried to calculate how long it's been since he last shifted.

_ Maybe a couple of days? I've been pretty preoccupied with the council on my back, but still, I've gotta go and fucking run free or something.  _

_ This will be good. It's a new town anyway, so I might as well go do some exploring... _

With the plan already laid out in Eddie's head, he marched out of the house and gave it one last look before continuing out onto the front lawn. He found a good spot where the grass wasn't too long and he still had a good view of the road to town.

Being a hybrid has its perks for sure, but being half-animal didn't simply mean you had ears and a tail, there was also the  _ shift.  _ Every hybrid could do it, they  _ need  _ to do it. It's like the animal that resins deep within their soul must be let loose every couple of days, or else it begins to get restless, that's when their animalistic side tends to show. This results in humans creating myths like werewolves and vampires, to explain what was happening to the Ancestors who couldn't show their true colours. 

Although the shift isn't what the humans made it out to be, well not for Eddie at least. He's never met a werewolf so he can't really ask if it's the same but he's heard enough stories to know that it's not as gruesome as humans believe it to be. Anyways, for Eddie, his shift is simple.

The teen began by crouching down, low to the ground and getting a feel for the earth beneath him. Followed by  _ the tingle _ , the same one that you see when a bunny's nose twitches randomly, that tingle. It starts off in his nose, then the feeling washes over his entire body. Yes, there is some pain since the guy is literally shrinking and growing white fur. But there's a magical essence to it that allows the last little part to simply be overtaken by a quick glowing light. Once the light disappeared, there sat Eddie Kaspbrak, who was now in the form of a small white rabbit.

~

Richie Tozier bolted upright in bed. His entire body was shaking with a feeling he'd never experienced before. His skin was covered in a layer of sweat which caused his curly hair to matt to his forehead. The boy tried to get out of bed but failed as his legs were tangled up in his sheets. After mentally cursing out Sleeping Richie, Awake Richie began to tug his feet free from their silky prisons. Just because his feet were free didn't mean he still wasn't a 6-foot tall clumsy mess, because the moment he set his foot down on the floor and began to stand, a wave of nausea washed over him. Richie fell to his knees, dizzy and confused; he looked down at his hands which were swaying back and forth in a blurry haze. Quickly he reached for his glasses on his nightstand and slapped them on his face, but that only made the nausea worse. Finally, he caved and ran to his washroom and fell to the floor in front of his toilet just in time because he immediately began throwing up everything he'd eaten the day before.

After the vomiting stopped, Richie sat on the floor of his washroom and let the cool tile floor beneath him soothe his overheating body. He tried to remember everything he ate the day previous, attempting to pinpoint the substance that had poisoned him. With no luck, Richie flushed the toilet again for safekeeping and trudged back into his room. He looked over at his alarm clock and saw that it was 8 am on Saturday. Usually, Richie would still be in bed for another 3 hours or so before waking up, but after that incident, he didn't think he'd be able to fall back asleep. So he opted to get an early start on the day.

Of course, Wentworth and Maggie Tozier were already awake and in the kitchen, fixing breakfast and discussing their plans for the day ahead. Only did they stop when their son cleared his throat a little too loudly from where he stood at the entrance of the kitchen. When Wentworth saw his son he froze in his stance, "SHH! Maggie, shhh" He put a finger to his lips and shushed his wife, "I think we just stumbled upon the elusive  _ Richard _ , darling we haven't seen one of these in  _ ages _ . Do you know how rare they are?" he asked in astonishment as he spoke in an Australian accent. (It's his Bear Grylls impression)

"Ahaaham funny" Richie deadpanned as his dad dropped the act. "Son! Good to see you up so early, what's the special occasion? Are your friends coming over? Wait, crap is it Christmas?" His jaw dropped suddenly, "Shit... It's your birthday isn't it?".

This actually received a subtle laugh from Richie, his dad always put him in a good mood. "Wentworth gets off a good one” Richie chuckled, “Don't worry dad you're in the clear. But uh- I did do something" He began, unsure how to tell his parents he just puked up his lungs in the upstairs bathroom.

Maggie's brow scrunched together slightly as she took a step towards him, "Are you okay Richie?" her head tilted slightly.

"Y-Yeah... Well, I  _ think  _ so"

"You  _ think _ so? What happened?" Maggie questioned and began inspecting her son.

"I threw up. But not like- a little, like a lot. Like a lot a lot-"

"We got it Rich" Went's lips were pressed into a thin line as he stopped his son from digging himself into a deeper hole.

"Honey, what happened?" Maggie moved to put one hand on Richie's shoulder and the other on his forehead to feel his temperature, "no fever...".

"I-I don't know" He sounded almost defeated, his eyes stayed on the floor as he continued, "I'm nauseous and sweaty and I feel like my bones are just gonna fucking  _ jump _ out of my body-"

Went cut in, "Language" with a half-hearted tone.

"I don't know what's wrong with me" Richie finished, finally he looked up to see his parents sharing a knowing glance. It was like they were having a conversation with their eyes, no words were said but Maggie and Went both knew what the other was thinking. "What? What's going on? You two meddling kids better tell me what's up or else I swear to god!" Richie had subconsciously slipped into one of his various voices as he pretended to scold his parents.

"Do you want to or?" Maggie asked Went as she motioned to the two.

"I can do it" Went confirmed as he turned his attention back to his son. "Rich, I know we've talked to you about this before and you're ready for this, we know you are, so don't worry okay? Everybody's first full moon is always a big occasion and it'll really be-".

"MY FIRST FULL MOON?" Richie gasped, his eyes had doubled in size as he stared at his parents in shock, "No way! What? Really?" He asked eagerly, "How are you so sure?".

"You've got all the symptoms. Nausea, vomiting, weak bones, it's all there honey" Maggie pipped up with a small smile, "Aw, my boy! Going through his first transformation already" Her smile only grew wider as she went to hug Richie. He let her hug him only for a moment before he wiggled out of her grasp.

The full moon was a big occasion for the Tozier family, as it was for every other Ancestor. Although the Tozier's didn't associate themselves with the Ancestors in any way, Wentworth left that life behind him when he chose love, all those years ago. Once he was an Ancestor like every other werewolf was, he lived in one of the bigger cities near Maine, the sister city of The All Lands, Everfalls. He grew up there with his parents and his younger brother West. Even with all of the lessons taught to him throughout the years, at the age of 14 Went still snuck out to the human world and he met a human girl named Margaret, who he'd grow to fall madly in love with. The love birds had a plan to run away and live their lives together, but the council caught a whiff of their little runaway plan. They made Wentworth choose between staying in Everfalls or being forever banished to the human world. (Since an Ancestor could  _ never _ marry a human) Of course, he chose Maggie, he chose love. He was never the biggest fan of the way the council ran things anyway, so he was more than happy to finally be out of their grasp.

Wentworth and Maggie Tozier went on to get married and even have a kid of their own, Richie Tozier, who we all know and adore. The thing with raising a werewolf in the human world was that it was a challenge keeping their secret, a secret. Both Went and Richie had pointed fluffy wolf ears, instead of normal fleshy human ears, those weren't too hard to hide. Richie got away with it by giving the school some forged doctor's note that claimed he needed to wear a hat because of how the fluorescent lights in the classroom fucked with his hair. So Richie usually wore beanies and snapbacks which hid his wolf ears. But that wasn't all, the father and son also both had long wolf tails that sat right at the bottom of their back. These weren't hard to hide, just more of a pain. Normally Rich would wear multiple layers of sweaters and jackets, so he could hide his tail in the layers. But no matter how he hid it, at the end of the day he always returned home with an ache in his back and a minor headache.

In places like The All Lands and Everfalls, werewolves would've been taught at a young age how to shift from human to wolf and vice versa, but those who were never taught as pups usually experience their first full transformation after their 16th birthday. Richie had turned 16 in March and it was currently May, so it made sense.

"So what are we gonna do? Go terrorize the villagers? Or go plot our revenge against the Ancestors and that damned council?" Richie schemes, he rubbed his hands together in an evil manner, ya know like Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

"Hm yeah maybe" Went played along for a moment before he dropped the act, "Probably just the usual, you, me, down in the cellar".

The Tozier's chose this house for one main reason, aside from the fact that it was DIRT CHEAP, it had a cellar with a hefty door which made it perfect for full moons, so the werewolves wouldn't get out.

"But seriously Rich, now's the time you've really gotta be careful, alright? Any small thing can make you go all wolf and the last thing we need is a call from your teacher claiming you ate another student" Went was cracking a joke but the message still got through.

Even without the full moon, Richie always had to be careful. Whether it was watching his anger or making sure his hat was positioned correctly, he always had to be careful. If he lashed out in class, he'd feel his fangs begin to lengthen in his mouth and need to go to the bathroom to calm himself down. If he got a bad mark on a test and curled his fingers into tight fists. When he'd unclench his fists to find small semi-circle nail marks on the palms of his hands that were on the verge of bleeding because his claws were coming in. He was always  _ careful _ . 

It's one of the reasons why he used comedy and sarcasm as a defence mechanism. It was a way to get the message across without throwing punches and risk killing his poor victim with his enhanced strength.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'll be careful. Now can I get something to eat before I go and eat those three little pigs?"

(get it? Cause... ya know,  _ Big Bad Wolf _ , Richie's a werewolf? Three little pigs? Get it? I know I'm hilarious.)

~

Since it was Saturday, Richie spent the day lounging around the house doing whatever he pleased. He'd start off by playing some video games in the basement and maybe even do some homework in the living room while his parents watched their usual Saturday afternoon cooking shows together. By 3:00 pm the teen werewolf had sprawled out on the floor of his bedroom and read comics.

Ms Marvel had just finished saving Jersey city when Richie closed the comic and stood up. He began to walk out of his room but stopped in the doorway when he noticed the way the sun beamed into his room. The urge to look out his window filled his body as he turned and made his way towards it. 

It was a sunny day for May which was nice, especially since it practically rained the entire month of April. The sun brought a new look to the Tozier's backyard, which Richie's room looked out to. It's warm afternoon light made everything just a little brighter, Richie could feel the edge of his lips tug upwards and into a warm smile with the sunlight that warmed his cheeks.

Something moved. Richie caught it out of the corner of his eye. He titled his head and focused on the spot where he'd seen the movement. The creature was easy to spot as it contrasted against the greenery in the Tozier's backyard. A little ball of white fluff sat peacefully in the grass. Richie smiled a little brighter at the sight of the cute little white rabbit.

_ Haven't seen one of those in a while _

The thought drifted to the surface of Rich's mind as he studied the precious little bunny. Its nose twitched and one of his ears flopped slightly. "Awwe" Richie cooed at the cuteness of the little rodent. He scrunched up his nose as his smile grew wider. 

"Cute, cute, cute" he mumbled to himself and watched the bunny hop off into the hedges.

Later that day when dinner time rolled around the Tozier's sat in comfortable silence with the TV on low in the background. Richie finished chewing on the piece of steak he had in his mouth before he asked, "Have you guys seen any white rabbits lately?". The question stemmed from the fact that Richie had seen countless rabbits throughout his lifetime, yet he couldn't bring himself to remember if any of them had ever been purely white.

Maggie and Wentworth had another silent conversation with their eyes. "No... Why? Did you see one, honey?" Maggie asked with curiosity, she set her fork down on her plate and looked across the table at her son.

"Uh- yeah I saw one when I was reading, it was out in the back" Richie explained, "It's not like a saw an alien" Richie let out a forced chuckle since the air in the room had become tense.

"No, it's just odd. You know why white rabbits are so rare?" Went asked, he didn't wait for a response as he just kept going, "White rabbits are a symbol for magic. If you were to go to any land populated with Ancestors, all you'd see are white rabbits. They rarely ever come onto human territory".

The young werewolf's eyes grew wide, "Wait, so are you telling me that we had an Ancestor on our property today?".

Went scratched his head and contemplated the different options that could explain the event, "No... Not necessarily. Not every white rabbit is part human. Yes, some are-

Maggie cut in, "It could've just been a rabbit who spent too much time in Everfalls or The All Lands. Or maybe it was enchanted?" She looks over at her husband for backup.

"Precisely" He winked at his wife. "I wouldn't worry too much about it Rich. Just let us know if you see it again" Went concluded, he then proceeded to dig into his steak, his incisors had come to a point, his fangs out. Richie lightly rolled his eyes and let an amused huff of air out through his nose before he followed suit and continued his dinner.

**Word Count: 3275**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to chapter 2!   
> I really hope you guys are liking this as much as I like writing this.   
> Let me know in the comments if you liked this chapter and if you're excited to see what happens next!
> 
> Don't forget to like, comment and share! It motivates me to write and show you enjoy my content. 
> 
> See you next Friday with chapter 3!
> 
> Until next time
> 
> So Long and Goodnight!


	3. =~•Chapter 3•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Eddie's first day at Derry High and it's pretty eventful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based off of the artwork by oceanteeeth on Instagram!  
> Also shout out to my Beta super.rose.cosplays!

(Note: Okay so, this is gonna sound weird, but it needs to happen. So yes Eddie just came to Derry and doesn't know much about human life, but he's gonna go to school. And that's the thing, I have no clue how to set up a scene where he finds out about highschool and decides to go. So I'm just gonna say it now, Eddie knows what school is and how to act cause obviously they had schools in The All Lands, but now he's just going to human highschool cause he knows he can't just.... not go to school. I hope this makes sense! So yeah, when Monday rolls around Eddie gets up and gets ready to head to school)

Monday morning Richie had some time to spare before homeroom which he spent chain-smoking with Beverly. She's one of Richie's long time friends who also happens to be his smoking buddy. The two sat in their usual spot under the bleachers by the football field which gave them a good view of the student parking lot as they people watched. They blew smoke clouds into the sky and talked about whatever came to mind.

Smoking isn't a new pastime for Richie, he started a couple of years ago when his father told him about how Ancestors couldn't get human illnesses. That's why Richie never got sick or had the flu and would never get cancer. At first, Went and Maggie were opposed to the idea since they thought it made Richie look bad, but the two caved as they knew it was better for Richie to be smoking in the bathroom rather than starting fights outback and clawing some punk to death. Smoking had also become a way for the young pup to calm his nerves when life got to be too much. If he was on the verge of losing his grip on his other side he'd start smoking, which would slowly calm the wolf inside of him.

"So Rich, how was your weekend?" Beverly Marsh, one of the most badass, hardcore people Richie knows. She lives her life on her terms, after her father's mysterious death, she was legally adopted by her aunt. Beverly then proceeded to convince her super cool aunt to let her stay in her apartment on her own, and somehow she succeeded.

The werewolf shrugged, "You know, same old same old. Read comics, watched TV, read comics while watching tv". Thinking about the weekend brought up the memory of the vomiting, and what that meant for the full moon. He had 20 days before his first shift, and usually, a wolf would be excited, just waiting to finally 'wolf out'. But not this pup. Richie was worried, he'd never done anything like this before and he was nervous. The visual of the full moon hanging low in the sky prompted Richie to close his eyes and take a long drag.

Then there was that feeling again. Just like the one from Saturday afternoon when he was reading comics and suddenly felt like looking out the window. Just as he finished his drag, Richie's eyes fluttered open, immediately his gaze fell on an unfamiliar face. Richie abruptly began coughing harshly.

"Woah Richie, what's up?" Bev placed her hand on his back and patted it a couple of times.

Richie forced himself to look up again. This time the wolf's eyes were met with a pair of golden Bambi eyes, wide with curiosity. The boy was staring up at the big school building that stood before him then smiled softly down at the paper in his hand. He wore a black beanie but that didn't hide the chocolate brown locks that shined under the warm light of the morning sun. Richie couldn't stop the way his heart skipped a beat at the sight of this earth angel.

"Who's the new kid?" He croaked in between coughs.

Bev urgently looked up to see who he was talking about, she shook her head and turned back to her friend. She quickly reached into her backpack and grabbed her water bottle, slapped it into Richie's hand and forced him to drink. Thankfully, he stopped coughing. "Better?" She asked.

Richie nodded, "Better" he confirmed. When he went to look at the new kid again, he had disappeared.

_Shit_

~

Eddie was excited to start highschool. There was something about this new start at a new school that made him feel like he was finally living his life on his terms. The young Ancestor walked up the main pathway towards the school and fished his packet of forms out from his bag. He began to scan his papers, wondering where he needed to go first but there was a sudden burst of coughs that drew his gaze away from his papers.

Eddie looked up and saw a guy sat under a set of bleachers, frantically coughing. He wore a dark red beanie on his head which covered black messy curls. Eddie didn't get to examine the rest of the boy or even go ask if he was okay, because someone had just walked up to him and began talking.

"Hey are you Eddie?" A female voice asked from beside him.

Eddie had to pry his eyes off of the boy under the bleachers and realized he hadn't even heard what she’d said. He only responded with, "Hm?".

Her smile didn't falter, "You're Eddie, right?" She repeated.

"Yes! That's me" Eddie returned the smile.

"Great, my name is Alley. The office told me that you needed someone to shadow for your first day. We have the same schedule, so you'll be my shadow today" She informed Eddie. Basically she was going to show Eddie around and take him to all her classes, which was a plus because they had them all together.

Alley was a little bit taller than Eddie. Soft caramel brown curls that fell just past her shoulders and matching brown eyes. She wore a red and black flannel with a tye-dye t-shirt underneath that had the phases of the moon on it, ripped jeans and vans. It was different from Eddie's style, but he liked it.

For his first day, the bunny carefully chose an outfit from the clothes he'd brought. A pair of grey-blue jeans and a loose jean button up with the sleeves rolled up. Oh! And his father's beanie of course.

"Great," Eddie said happily and followed Alley into the school.

First, she led him to the office where he signed off on the last of his papers and got the last of the supplies he needed. Next was homeroom, which was biology. Then math, and lunch. Alley insisted that he join her at her normal table which consisted of her friends Regan and Cece. Reagan was a redhead with a subtle southern accent whilst Cece had short brown hair and wore a red flannel matching with Alley. Eddie couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, but nonetheless, they were nice girls and welcomed him with open arms.

Once lunch was over, Alley and Eddie were walking side by side in the hallway on their way to English when Alley unexpectedly grabbed Eddie by the hand and pulled him off into a side hallway. She put her finger to her lips in an attempt to get him to stay quiet. The boy watched as a group of guys walked through the halls, there were four of them, and it didn't look like Alley was the only one who tried to stay out of their way.

So Eddie stayed quiet, and spoke once they were out of earshot, "Who was that?".

"That's Henry Bowers and his goons" She groaned, "Sorry about that. Henry and my brother have some weird beef, so now he has it out for me too or whatever" Alley rolled her eyes. Then motioned for Eddie to continue following her through the halls.

"That sucks" Eddie looked over at the worried look that Alley wore.

"Hmm, yeah. Just don't get on his bad side, please" Alley advised before she turned towards the door to their English class.

The atmosphere shifted when they stepped inside the classroom. From a tense and steady hallway to a laughter filled classroom. Somebody had obviously told a joke or something because most of the kids were laughing if not giggling/smirking.

Eddie's eyes fell on the boy who was laughing the loudest. His smile lit up the entire room, his laugh was loud but true, real, and heartwarming. The edges of Eddie's lips threatened to make his smile bigger than it already was, but he resisted the urge to laugh along with them. Instead he followed Alley to a couple of open seats near the window. He took the seat behind her and got his binders out and placed them neatly on his desk.

The laughter in the room slowly began to die down. Eddie glanced over at the laughing boy, still giggling and poking at his bigger friend, but looked away soon after and focused on the notebooks in front of him. Eddie glanced again when he fully stopped laughing, even though he wasn't laughing, his face still glowed. Even if he wasn't smiling he still gave off that positive energy that caused Eddie to smile down at his notes. 

Richie noticed Eddie as well. He was a little busy laughing his ass off at his own joke to go introduce himself when the new boy first entered the classroom, and he'd been sitting down for a little while now. Richie came to the conclusion that it'd be weird if he did go now. So he opted to keep the conversation up with his friends, and just keep an eye on the new kid. He'd caught the new kid doing the same, which caused him to smirk to himself.

"Okay okay, guys if I laugh anymore I'm gonna piss myself" Richie giggled.

"Why do you insist on calling it piss? Please just say pee" Stan rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Urination Station?" Ben suggested with raised eyebrows. Surprisingly, Stan actually cracked up at the suggestion.

The ones who sat around Richie were Ben Hanscom and Stanley Uris.

_Ben Hanscom is a bigger kid, that goes for his heart as well. That kid is caring and thoughtful as hell. Then there's Stan The Man Uris, he's a Jew, which basically means he killed Jesus. Kidding. (He made that joke in the book, don't @ me) but seriously, Stan is one of the real ones. He's my ride or die._

Their little laugh session was cut short when their English teacher, Mr Brock, walked into the room. He was fairly tall and well built, he had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, which matched his blue button up. "Hello ladies and gentlemen. Today we're gonna be starting 1984, by George Orwell. But before that, we do have a new student. Eddie? Do you mind standing?".

Eddie nodded, quietly stood up and gave the class a quick wave, “Hello".

"Guys, this is Eddie Kaspbrak. Make him feel at home, alright? Eddie, welcome to my English class" he smiled over at his student, Eddie quickly sat back down, his cheeks a little bit darker than before.

The class went fairly well, aside from the time when Mr Brock requested for Eddie to read a passage from 1984 out loud, and he stumbled over literally every third word. It was mildly embarrassing but he got over it quickly.

_The rest of the day was good! Since the school is already 2 months into the second semester I have a stack of homework to catch up on. That's okay though! At least now I have my own thing to keep me busy. After English, I had history, which was for sure a challenge since the things we learn back home about human history is very different from what humans teach..._

_Overall my day was going pretty well! Then it took a turn..._

The final bell had rung, Eddie and Alley grabbed their bags from their lockers and began to make their way out of the school. Eddie vaguely explained where he lived, without giving too much detail since he knew she wouldn't know where his house was anyway since it was, ya know, invisible to everyone except him. On the plus side, they walked the same way home! Yes Alley's house was only 2 minutes from the school and they'd split off pretty quickly but it was nice to know he didn't have to walk the _entire_ way alone. She even showed him how to go through the back gate of the school, so they'd miss all of the foot traffic at the front of the school.

The two friends were walking behind the school, no one else in sight, as all of the students fled the school as soon as possible. They turned the corner to walk towards the back gate and spotted Henry Bowers and his goons, they leaned up against the school's exterior wall. Henry had a mullet and a raggy tank top on, and he was with a kid with bleach blonde hair who looked like he was going to join the army, and a bigger guy with a baseball cap who stood beside the tallest of the four, he was lanky with black shaggy hair. Eddie's stomach turned as he thought about what would happen if they started something...

Just as the two were about to peacefully walk past the four boys, Henry stepped in front of them. He glared at Alley, "Red, better tell your fucking brother to get me my damn money or else-".

"You'll eat him alive?" She finished, "Yeah I know". Alley hadn't stopped walking, neither had Eddie. But just as they were about to walk around Henry, he stuck his foot out. Alley fell face-first to the pavement.

"Don't talk back to me, bitch" Henry leaned down and growled at her.

The Ancestor's eyes were as wide as saucers as he stepped in, "Hey come on we don't wanna start anything" Eddie pleaded.

"Was I talking to you? Fucking fairy. Jesus, this town just keeps getting more fucked with all of these fags-", Eddie didn't think, he just... Punched Henry. Right in the face. The bully stumbled backwards, suddenly all of his goons were up and behind him as if they were awaiting a command to attack. The tall lanky one grabbed Henry's shoulder before he fell. Henry shook his hand off before he returned his attention to Eddie and Alley, who was now back on her feet.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that fags could be tough asses" He snarled and glanced at the guys behind him, "looks like we better show these bastards whos the boss around here". 

Henry took a step forward, pulled his fist back and was just about to throw a punch at Eddie, when a rock hit him in the back of the head. If he wasn't mad before, not Henry looked _pissed_. "What the fu-" He turned and roared at whoever was behind him when another rock hit his stomach. He gripped the area that was hit as pain exploded in his stomach.

"I don't think you wanna do that" A voice called out. Eddie's eyes snapped up to whoever was talking. His gaze was greeted by the beanie boy from English, the one who was manically coughing under the bleachers.

Henry was about to command the attack, go full-on and beat the living shit out of the boy, but something caught his eye. A cop car was parked at the edge of the school's property. Henry knew his father was watching, he had to stand down, or else he'd risk a much harder beating from his own father.

"Scatter, regroup tomorrow" Henry commanded instead, defeat tinted his voice. Patrik, Victor and Belch hesitated only for a moment before doing as their leader said, and they left. But Henry waited for a minute or two with an emotionless face.

"Go" Eddie gave his own demand to Alley, she nodded, as she didn't need any more scrapes and bruises. So she left.

Henry glanced at the cop car and noticed that his father wasn't looking at them, so he took his chance. Richie was curious about what Henry kept glancing at, he tilted his head momentarily to look behind him. He didn't notice Henry pick up one of the rocks he'd been hit with, nor did he notice him pull back in preparation to throw it.

Eddie's heart stopped when he watched Henry pelt the boy, in the head with the rock. Then everything stopped altogether when he fell to the ground on impact.

"Suck on that" Henry smirked before he bolted, worried that his father had seen him.

The Ancestor stood there in shock, unsure of what to do. The boy was still on the ground when Eddie rushed to his side.

"Holy shit a-are you okay?" His words were rushed, kinda like his thoughts. Eddie rapidly began to scan the boy who laid before him. He wasn't responding, which was bad, but Eddie could see his chest rise and fall as he breathed, which was good. "Please, please wake up" He begged as he examined the damage that Henry had done. He had to try to focus on the mission at hand, helping his classmate, he had to ignore his sharp jawline and his cute black curls- _not now Eddie, jesus, not now-_

He was hit just above his eyebrow, close to his hairline. The rock left cuts and scratches on the poor boy's pretty face. He had been wearing glasses, but Eddie was more focused on the blood coming from the boy's head. Eddie also noticed that the boy's beanie still remained on his head. He hesitated, not wanting to take the hat off, but he needed to get a clear view of the scrap. So before he could think about it anymore, he winced and slid the beanie off the boy's head.

"Shit" Eddie gasped at what laid before him. His ears weren't normal, they weren't _human_ . Perched on top of his head, hidden deep within the forest of curls, were a pair of wolf ears. They were covered in black fur, similar to his hair, and they were pointed, _like wolf ears_.

_Okay Eddie, calm down. He has wolf ears, is he a hybrid? a werewolf?_

The questions began to eat away at him.

 _STOP IT! Okay, you need to focus. He's hurt, focus on that. Ask questions later._ _Freak out_ _later._

Eddie looked away, took a deep breath then moved his hands to hover over the scraped area. He pushed his worries down and began to put all of his focus into the damage done to this cute boy's forehead.

Magic was common amongst Ancestors, it came easier to some, while others didn’t have any at all. Eddie was lucky, he had a good grasp over his abilities. He had a small range of powers but he mainly used his abilities to heal. So that’s what he did. The bunny moved his hands to hover over the wound and he watched as little white wisps of magic began to seep from his palms.

Word Count: 3030

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for checking out my new chapter! I hope you all enjoyed, if you did be sure to leave a like and comment, and share!
> 
> I will see you all next week with the next chapter, but until then
> 
> So Long and Goodnight


	4. =~•Chapter 4•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie offers to help Richie after the fight with Bowers. Eddie takes his first car ride and opens up about his past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based off of the artwork by oceanteeeth on Instagram!  
> Also shout out to my Beta super.rose.cosplays!

The scratch needed about 2 more minutes before it would be fully healed. That's when the wolf's eyes shot open, big glowing yellow eyes, and they were filled with furry. Eddie resisted the urge to jump back and tried to continue the healing process. The eyes landed on Eddie and he went stiff as a board. The boy on the ground let out a deep growl. He swung his arms off the ground, grabbed Eddie's shoulders and threw him off of him.

Eddie flew backwards landing flat on his back with a grunt a couple feet away. His beanie came off on impact, but Eddie hadn't noticed. He was too busy focusing on the pain that reverberated through his body.

Richie jackknifed, snapped upwards into a sitting position and without missing a beat, leaned over, grabbed his glasses and put them on. They were in plain sight, yet Eddie didn't see them. He leaped up and onto his feet, his yellow eyes magnified by the coke lenses of his glasses. They scanned the landscape, eventually falling on Eddie.

A deep, bone shaking growl erupted from his lungs that shook Eddie to the core. The boy leaned down, close enough for Eddie to get a clear view of his sharp fangs, hell, he could even smell his damn breath.

Richie's eyes moved from Eddie's chest up to his head, then he saw something. Something that shook him out of his haze of anger. Richie fell backwards, never breaking eye contact with Eddie. 

"O-Okay, this isn't what it seems. I-I can't go back... Please, please don't tell the council" Eddie carefully sat up, worried that he'd spook the other boy.

Richie did a double-take, he shook his head "What? What are you talking about? Fuck the council those guys are a bunch of tree-hugging assholes" he shook his head again. Eddie could practically see the gears turning in his guy's head as he tried to piece together this puzzle.

"S-So you won't tell anyone that I'm here?" Eddie confirmed, he couldn't risk losing this new life he'd just started to live.

His voice seemed distant, "Yeah don't worry". Richie slowly got to his feet, he stood up and dusted himself off. "What are you even doing here? What even _are_ you?" His voice was filled with confusion, yet he still offered his hand out to help Eddie up.

Eddie looked at the hand for a moment before he grabbed it hesitantly, Richie hoisted him to his feet. "I'm a hybrid. If you couldn't already tell" He gestured to the perky bunny ears, his cheeks reddened at the sudden attention they got.

Richie looked at them, mesmerized by the way they lightly swayed with the breeze, "They're cute" He said without thinking. His eyes went wide when he realized what he'd said, "Wait what the fuck are you doing here?" He quickly changed the subject in hopes that Eddie didn't hear what he'd admitted previously.

Eddie shied away, not only did the compliment make his ears red and his heart skip a beat, but he also didn't want to get into the whole 'if I didn't run away I would've died' thing. So he stayed quiet for a moment, opted to serve the area and make sure no one was watching them. No one was, thank god, even the cop car had disappeared.

"Well?" Richie asked, his patience was slipping as a headache formed around his forehead.

He didn't look up from his shoes, "I... was going to be killed" Eddie grumbled under his breath.

"Pardon?"

"I was gonna be killed" Eddie repeated, only slightly louder than previously.

"one more time" Richie requested, this time he put a hand to his ear.

"The council gave me the death sentence" Eddie snapped, his voice stern and serious. Only now did his gaze meet the one of the taller boys.

_Shit, he's tall..._

_But it kinda suits him_

"Fuck dude! What the hell did you do?" Richie asked a tinge of laughter in his voice.

The bunny rubbed the back of his neck, "Can we not get into this, especially here?" He glanced around at the very public area they stood in. "Fuck... I don't even know who you are" He sighed at the realization.

"Shit you're right" Richie almost gasped. He bent over and grabbed his red beanie off the ground, dust and dirt strained its red material, as well as... _Blood?_ "W-What happened?" He breathed.

"Henry knocked you out. Shit! Dude, you're still bleeding" Eddie cursed and jumped up to reach up to Richie's forehead. The wolf swatted the rabbit's hands away and felt the scratch for himself. He looked at his hand and saw the blood.

"Shit... I can't go home like this. My mom would kill me, especially for putting up a fight like that" Richie groaned as he recalled using his strength to nail Bowers with the rocks.

Eddie pulled his beanie back on, "Come to my place" he offered innocently. Sure Eddie had just met this guy but there was obviously more to him then he was leading on. He wasn't even sure if it was just because Richie was an Ancestor, or if it was his contagious laugh, but Eddie had already begun to trust him. Also the wolf was bleeding, and Eddie always had an urge to help the wounded... Just like his father.

Richie's eyebrows scrunched together as he did the same with his beanie, "Listen Bunny, you don't even know me, okay? So don't-".

"I know you're hurt, and I can help! Plus you can't go home like that, _your mom would kill you_ " Eddie mocked, which earned him a playful shove from Richie.

"God, you're a stubborn little bunny aren't you?" Richie nudged Eddie again.

"Stop calling me that" Eddie rolled his eyes.

"If I knew your name-"

"Eddie. Eddie Kasbrak" he stuck out his hand before him.

Richie's lips curved into a warm smile, he shook his hand "Hiya Eds, I'm Richie Tozier" He said with a wink.

"Uh" Eddie groaned, "Don't call me that".

Richie let out an over dramatic sigh, "uhh, then what _can_ I call you?".

"Eddie?" He suggested.

"Boring" Richie sang out, "Whatever, I'll figure it out as we go. Anyways, you said something about heading back to your place?" Richie offered and Eddie nodded. "Are you sure? What would your parents-"

"I live alone" Eddie stated before Richie could finish his sentence. Then he began to walk, Richie watched only for a moment before catching on and running to catch up to him.

At first Eddie was going to walk Richie all the way back to his place. The walk was about 45 minutes. "No way am I walking that far. My car is parked in the parking lot. I can drive" Richie offered. The idea of stepping into a car stopped Eddie all together, he'd never been in a car before, and the idea terrified him. Fast, metal objects speeding towards an unknown destination. The only stories Eddie had heard of cars were when they hurt someone from the village.

Richie noticed and stopped as well, "You good, Eddie?".

The bunny's eyes were wide as he imagined the car they'd ride in. Some big hunk of junk with dried blood around the tires. He shook at the thought. "I-I... Have never been in one before..." his voice drifted off.

"Oh?" He coaked an eyebrow, "oh..." He said in realization. "It'll be okay. I'll take it easy" He put a reassuring hand on Eddie's shoulder.

Eddie's gaze went from the soft hand on his shoulder to the boy in front of him, "Okay" He whispered.

Richie carefully led Eddie off the school's property and down the street to where he had his car parked. He drove a CJ5 baby blue jeep, "Eddie, this is Roscoe. Roscoe, meet Eddie!" He happily motioned over to his jeep.

"Roscoe?" Eddie asked.

Richie smiled at Eddie, "Yepperoni! She's my baby" he rubbed the hood of the car. "Trust me alright? It'll be a blast" He insisted as he helped Eddie into the car.

At first, Eddie kept his mouth shut. He watched Richie's every move, how his hands held the steering wheel, how he tapped his index fingers on the dash during red lights, and how his eyes always found their way over to the boy in the passenger seat.

"How are you enjoying it?" He asked Eddie after 5 minutes of odd silence. Eddie almost thought he was enjoying it until he noticed how tightly he was clenching his fists. Hesitantly, he opened up his hands and saw the dark red semi-circle marks left on his palms by his fingernails.

Richie noticed this as well, he watched as Eddie examined his hands. He forced his eyes back onto the road right on time, as he didn't notice how quickly he was approaching a red light. He slammed on the breaks and the car slammed to a stop.

Both of the boys were breathing heavily. Richie, because this is a bad habit of his and he's worried that it'll cost him one day. And Eddie because he was sure that this was how he was going to die, he didn't even notice the way his hand had gripped onto Richie's thigh, as if that would've helped him. Richie only noticed when he saw Eddie glancing at it.

He kept his eyes on the light but he moved one of his hands from the steering wheel down to where Eddie gripped his thigh. "Hey... Eddie, It's okay" His voice was calm and warm, like the soothing tea that Eddie’s mom used to make to calm his nerves during a thunderstorm.

Richie carefully laid his hand on top of Eddie's tense fingers. Usually if someone he'd just met pulled this move on him, he'd slap their hand away with disgust. This was different, _Eddie_ was different. So he only slightly surprised himself when he pulled Eddie's hand off of his thigh and gently laced their fingers together. "You're okay" Richie assured him again. They spent the rest of the ride like that.

After another five minutes, they finally pulled up to a dead end. Richie looked at Eddie with curiosity as the bunny undid his seatbelt, something he watched Richie do before. "We walk from here," He explained in a soft voice. Eddie slowly slipped his hand out from Richie's grasp and got out of the car, as he tried to make it look like he wasn't terrified of the thing he'd just been sitting in.

Richie noticed almost immediately the way Eddie's mood changed. Inside the car, he was quiet and tense, but not even a minute after they began walking through the forest did Eddie seem lighter. _He's in his element_. Richie thought and looked around at the forest they were in.

The two walked in comfortable silence through the forest. Eddie led Richie through every twist and turn until he stood in front of an open meadow. "Here she is!" Eddie smiled and opened his arms up wide to gesture at the open field.

"Uhh- Eds there's nothing here" Richie pointed out awkwardly.

"Hm? Oh! Right," Eddie said as if he remembered a vital step of the process. Richie watched the boy turn around and place a hand on something that wasn't there. "Hey, you can trust Richie. He's my friend, I think..." He thought about it before he turned around, "We're friends right?" He asked.

"Yes! We're friends" Richie called out as if he was trying to prove something to some unknown force.

 _Friends_ , Richie liked the sound of that.

His face dropped, his mouth turned into a shocked 'O' as he watched a house materialize before his very eyes. "Woah" was the only word he could muster. Finally, he saw the thing that had kept this house a secret, the forcefield. It was almost transparent, but he could vaguely see it reflect the sunlight when he tilted his head.

"Here we are!" Eddie announced.

"Here we are..." Richie repeated and followed Eddie through the forcefield and onto his property. After he stepped inside the house he felt the initial shock of a magically appearing house begin to fade. Eddie ushered Richie into the kitchen. He sat the wolf down at the table and got back to work on healing Richie’s cut.

Richie watched in awe as Eddie began to heal his wound. "So what about your family? Are they here with you?" Richie asked at the sound of a seemingly empty house.

"No... It's just me" Eddie ended the conversation pretty quickly as he wasn't in the mood to talk about his overbearing mother or his dead father. He kept his eyes on the healing scar, watching as it slowly stitched itself back together. Once it was done, he leaned away to admire his work.

"It's cool! Really cool..." Richie tried to lighten the mood, so he took his beanie off as a sign of trust. His wolf ears now out in the open.

Eddie noticed the gesture and couldn't help the way his cheeks began to heat up. Carefully, he tugged the beanie off of his head and revealed his two bunny ears. "Wanna see something else?" Eddie asked with a tinge of nervousness in his voice.

Richie only nodded, unsure of what Eddie was planning next. What he didn't expect was for the boy to lift his hands over his head, he stretched and closed his eyes for a moment. Riche couldn't help it as he glanced down and noticed how a part of Eddie's midriff was showing. His cheeks turned the same shade of pink as Eddie's. Once the boy leaned back into a normal stance, he turned around. Richie stared at his back before he noticed something twitch.

"Awwww" Richie cooed at the sight of the small bunny tail that peaked out from his pants, "It's so cute! And small...".

"Small?" Eddie turned on his heels to face Richie, "Compared to what?" He asked with curiosity.

"THIS!" Richie arched his back and hastily moved his shirt and revealed a brown fluffy wolves tail. Which was indeed, much larger than Eddie's.

Eddie laughed at Richie's choice of movements and at how Richie's tail was indeed bigger, and cute. Richie watched for a moment, unable to hold back his own giggles as if Eddie's laughter was contagious.

Once the boys calmed down from their little laughing fit, Eddie took Richie on a tour of his house. He gestured to each room and explained his plans for them, or mentioned how it was empty and he had no clue what to do with it. When they entered Eddie's personal room, Richie noticed the small things he had lying around. Of course, it wasn't much as Eddie had only been living here for a couple of days, but he took note of a couple of books he had, the clothes he had laid out, and the map on the wall.

He examined the piece of paper, tainted yellow with time, and located The All Lands. He tapped it with his index finger "This is where my dad was from".

Eddie noticed that he was looking at the map and walked to stand by his side. "Really? Why'd he leave" He asked cautiously, unsure if this was a touchy subject or not.

The wolf's eyes didn't leave the map "He didn't _leave_. He was banished" Richie explained solemnly. _Shit, maybe this is a touchy subject,_ Eddie thought as Richie continued "Fell in love with a human, my mother. So the council made him choose. The All Lands, or the love of his life... Who the fuck does that?" Richie turned, only slightly, to look at Eddie, but his eyes were closed, as if he was trying to forget a bad memory.

Eddie opened his mouth to speak when Richie opened his eyes, "But it's fine... Hey if they never left that shithole they would've never had me. That would've been a travesty."

"Yeah... Sure" Eddie rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide the hint of amusement that settled over his face.

This earned him a playful nudge from Richie, "oh come on Eddie Spaghetti, you love me" he drags out the O in love. Just the mention of the _L Word_ made Eddie's heart skip a beat. Yes he knew that they just met, and they were _just_ friends, but he still blushed. He tried to hide it by looking at the map, mirroring Richie.

They stood in a comfortable silence for a couple of moments. "My dad was killed at the hands of the council" He took a shaky breath and continued, "He helped a human who was dying. They claimed he put our village at risk, Everfalls" Eddie points to his village on the map. He's never had to tell anyone about his father before, since everyone else in the village had already heard the story, and it's not like he _wanted_ to talk about it. Richie had told him his story, so he thought it was only right that he tells him his story in exchange.

Richie's eyes softened at the news, "Awe, Eds I'm sorry about-"

Eddie snapped, "I said, _don't call me that_ " he shook his head then turned and went to go sit on his bed.

The curly-haired boy stood still, frozen in shock as he's never seen Eddie like this. There was a sharp inhale, it pulled Richie out of his thoughts. He tilted his head up to see Eddie's eyes were red with his hand held up over his mouth as he tried to stifle a cry.

The wolf acted quickly, he sat on the bunny's bed and slid towards him. He wrapped an arm around Eddie's shoulder, he desperately wanted to pull him closer and hold him close. He forced himself not to.

_Richie you literally just met this guy, so take it easy. Plus he's probably straight. You're not lucky enough to find a guy who shares the same secret as you and have him be gay. No way._

So he just opted for the shoulder hug. It was Eddie who made the move and leaned in, he rested his head on Richie's chest. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him, it filled him with warmth.

Eddie tried _so hard_ not to cry, but he couldn't hold the tears back any longer. He had cried over his father's death back when it happened, but he never had a shoulder to lean on. Sure his mother would envelop him in one of her rib crushing hugs, but those were always for her own sake. So when Richie sat down and put his arm around him, he knew he couldn't stop the waterworks. Someone had finally offered him that shoulder he craved.

"I-I'm sorry I shouldn't get so worked up over this" Eddie sniffled and tried to pull back and out of Richie's grasp.

"Eddie, it's okay, ya know, to cry. You've gotta do it at some point" Richie looked down at him and with one hand he pushed his big glasses up the bridge of his nose. The shorter boy opened his mouth to protest but Richie had already wrapped him up again, instead Eddie let out a shaky breath. "It's okay, you're okay..." Richie whispered to him while he rubbed circles into his back. Eddie melted into his touch. 

**Word Count: 3220**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 3220
> 
> I adore these boys so much! I had a blast writing this chapter, especially the scene where they're comparing tails lol.
> 
> I hope that you guys are enjoying this fan fic as much as I am! Don't forget to give this a kudos, comment and share, it's a great way to show your support and it inspires me to keep writing. 
> 
> That's all from me, I will see y'all next week with chapter 5!
> 
> Until next time 
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


	5. =~•Chapter 5•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie is officially introduced to the rest of the Losers club. Richie has difficulty controlling his powers as the full moon approaches

The rabbit calmed down after a little. Richie stayed the whole time, comforting him and held him until he made sure that the other was okay. Once both boys settled, the wolf noticed the time and decided it would be best if he headed home. Eddie stood in the foyer with a blanket wrapped over his shoulders, while Richie stood by the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow okay, spaghetti?" Richie leaned in and hugged Eddie again. The shorter boy enjoyed the moment while it lasted, his skin felt colder once Richie released him. He almost didn't notice the nickname that he had been called, but he ignored the urge to call him out on it. Instead, he nodded.

Richie turned the doorknob and took a step outside, he turned back to face Eddie. "Wanna come over to my place for dinner tomorrow night?" He offered, a tinge of nervousness tainted his voice but only because he'd literally just met this guy and was already inviting him to meet his parents. He knew that Maggie and Went would wanna meet Eddie, plus, it's not like he _didn't_ want to spend more time with Eddie.

The bunny's eyes softened as his lips curled into a smile, "R-Really?"

"Yeah! You know, like a thank you for saving my ass today, plus my parents would love to meet you. They'd think you're just as cute as I do" He winked before he turned to head out. Eddie stayed at the door, he leaned against it and used it for support as his knees went weak at the way Richie called him cute. He stood there and watched the werewolf walk away, he even turned and waved at the bunny before he disappeared back into the forest. Eddie's heart swelled when he closed the door. He leaned against it and slid to the floor and thought.

_I think..._

for once

_I'm gonna be just fine_

~

Tuesday morning Eddie got to school with lots of time to spare before homeroom. He left his bag in his locker and sat outside under one of the trees on the school's front lawn. This spot also had a good view of the bleachers where he first saw Richie, when he was coughing up a lounge yesterday. The memory brought a smirk to Eddie's face as he focused on his notebook in his lap, working on some last-minute biology homework.

He'd gotten most of it done by the time his ears tingled from underneath his beanie. He glanced up and noticed a pair of converses standing in front of him. Eddie looked up, after nearly being blinded by the glaring morning sun, recognizing the person before him as none other than Richie Tozier.

"Is that my Eddie spaghetti?" Richie asks, Eddie can practically hear the smile in his voice. The sun that rose from behind Richie caused the werewolf to appear only as a silhouette. Eddie squinted his eyes, trying to adjust to the light when he noticed how the sun's light shone through Richie's curls in a manner that made him look like he had a halo, and he was an angel.

"Hell yeah it is" Eddie set his notebook down on the grass then proceeded to stand up, finally he was able to get a good look at the wolf before him.

Today Richie had on a loose Hawaiian shirt, the shirt was covered in dark blue and white flowers, underneath he wore a black shirt with the words 'ALL TIME LOW' painted on it. Of course, his white converses and his black ripped jeans. Oh, and he also wore a dark blue beanie with a little peace symbol on it.

Richie smiled down at him, watching Eddie's eyes wander around and examine him, "Cute cute cute" he smiled warmly.

Eddie's cheeks went pink, "me?" he suddenly felt self-conscious about his outfit. Which was a simple pair of dark blue jeans and a light blue polo shirt.

"Yes, of course you" Richie's voice goes soft. He noticed one of Eddie's soft curls had fallen out of place, so he took it upon himself to tuck it back into place. The action received a blush from Eddie that created butterflies inside Richie's stomach. "Come on Mr. Tomato let’s head to class." He poked fun at Eddie's blush, which only made it worse. Nonetheless, once Richie began to walk towards the school, Eddie snatched his stuff off the ground and walked with him.

_The morning went fairly well, I was only late to my second-period class by 3 minutes since I got lost... But other than that it was good!_

Eddie recapped his morning while he struggled to open his lock. "Need a hand?" A familiar female voice asked from beside him. He turned and smiled when he saw Alley leaning up against the locker beside his, which was hers after all.

"I... Should... Be..." The lock clicked open, "Good!" he said happily.

She let out a happy puff of air through her nose, "Nice" She went and began to open her own locker, "Oh, by the way the girls and I are gonna go get subway for lunch, wanna join?" She offers.

Eddie tried to remember what Subway is, the image of a sandwich store in town comes to his mind, "Uh- Thank you! But maybe another day, have fun though." He wished as she grabbed something out of her locker before closing it.

"Okay! No worries, you'll be okay without me right Eddie?" Alley leaned against her locker again and tilted her head.

"Oh! Yeah, I'll be fine. No need to worry." Eddie tried not to make his smile look forced, but it was kind of hard due to the fact that it was indeed forced. Not only was he worried about what would happen if he saw Richie, but he was also worried about what he'd do at lunch, since he kinda assumed he'd sit with Alley. Looks like that plan went out the window.

They said their goodbyes then Alley was on her way, which left Eddie alone in the hallway. He grabbed his lunch and closed his locker. With no clue where to go, Eddie closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against his locker.

A tap on his shoulder brought him back to reality. He turned to see who it was and was surprised when he found no one beside him.

"Hey Cutie" a sly voice called out from behind him. Eddie spun around, he smiled at the sight of Derry's Resident Werewolf who was leaning up against the lockers beside his.

"Richie! hey!" Eddie couldn't hide the excitement that filled his voice.

"Hey Ed's, how's it hanging?"

The rabbit's face went blank, "H-How's what hanging?" he asked in confusion.

The wolf's cheeks went red as he realized what he'd done, "Oh- shit sorry... It means like, what's up?" Richie rubbed the back of his neck. He thinks fast and saves himself, "So what'd you got planned for lunch?".

"I-I was gonna eat with Alley, my friend, but she went to subwhich with her friends so-"

"Wanna come eat with me?" Richie asked a little too eagerly.

Eddie took a moment to think about the decision as if he hadn't already made up his mind, "Yeah, sure!" He piped up.

Richie led Eddie through the school and into the cafeteria. He was soon waived down by his usual group of friends. The two walked up to the table, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special guest with us today. May I present to you Eddie Kaspbrak" Richie's voice turned into one of a TV announcer, he also held his arms out and waved them around Eddie as if he were showing him off.

Eddie's stomach filled with butterflies as he shyly waved to the group before him which consisted of 4 guys and 1 girl. They all happily welcomed him with hellos and greetings.

"Eds is new, so make him feel at home, alright guys?" He eyed them, almost threatened.

"N-Nice to meet yo-you" The boy closest to Eddie smiled.

"That's Bill, he might have a problem with speaking but this guy can rewrite the bible in under an hour. A natural-born writer" Bill rolled his eyes. Richie points to the boy to Bill's left, who Eddie vaguely remembered from English class, "That's Stan the Man Uris, he might look like a teen but he's got an old soul. Still love him though, right Urine?” he teased.

“Yeah, fuck you Tozier. Welcome to the family Eddie” Stan smiled.

“Beside Staniel is Mike! He’s both brains and brawn, book smart but also the quarterback of the football team. Ain’t that right Mikey?” Richie smirked and got a chuckle out of Mike as he waved to Eddie, which Eddie returned.

Richie moved to the other side of the table, “Here we have Ben, Haystack, purest heart in all the lands,” Richie slipped into a southern accent.

Lastly was the girl. Richie took a step forward and placed his hands on the back of her shoulders, “and of course Ms Beverly Marsh, a queen inside and out, Derry’s resident Badass.” She smirked and struck a small pose at the compliment.

“Welcome to the Losers Club!” Richie finished with arms open wide as he gestured to the group. “Now come! We shall feast” Richie insisted as he took a seat beside Ben, he patted the chair beside him, gesturing for Eddie to claim it. The bunny happily accepted and took a seat beside Richie.

Richie was about to take a bite out of his sandwich but instead he stopped and slapped it down on the table it grabbed everyone’s attention. “I almost forgot! Staniel, congratulations on the circumcision!” Richie practically exclaimed. Stan sighed, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, almost as if it pained him to hear. Richie burst out in laughter, everyone else giggled along with him. Even Eddie, though he didn’t know what a circumcision was, everyone else’s laughter made him laugh.

The Circumcision Joke was created the day Stan, Bill and Richie were talking about Stan’s bar mitzvah on their last day of grade 6. Richie had gotten it mixed up with a circumcision. Ever since he made it a point to constantly congratulate Stan on having been circumcised, even if he had gotten it when he was a baby. Yet Richie always found it hilarious. Everyone found it decently funny, especially when Richie just randomly brings it up. Stan does as well, but he’ll never admit it.

The lunch was spent with the group getting to know Eddie and vice versa. Everyone was warm and welcoming. From time to time he got a couple odd glances from Bill, but aside from that everything went smoothly.

The warning bell rang and students began to pack up and head for class.

“Rich, I missed you this morning for our ritual chain smoking” Beverly stood up with Richie.

“Oh yeah, sorry about that darling. Speaking of our illicit activities, wanna go chain smoke under the bleachers?” Richie asked with raised eyebrows and a devilish grin.

“You know I’m always down for a good chain smoke. Let’s go” Beverly smirked deviously at Richie.

Eddie turned to Richie with a concerned look in his eye, “What about english class?” he asked in an almost quiet tone.

“Ah don’t worry about it Eds. I’m already like a week ahead of the class anyways. Just tell Brock it’s that time of the month for me or something” Richie made a joke but Eddie wasn't sure about what. He didn’t even mean to ask about Richie, he asked for his own sake as that was the only class the two shared. Instead of complaining, Eddie stayed quiet and opted to give a simple wave as Richie and Beverly linked arms and left the cafeteria.

The Ancestor let out a tired sigh and began to pack up his things, his smile faded into more of a resting bitch face.

Stan was suddenly by Eddie’s side, “Don’t let him get to you. He doesn't mean to.” he explained in a calm manner, as if this was nothing new to him. “It’s just the way he is….” His voice drifted off, “Sometimes he says things and he doesn't realize how others are gonna interpret it”.

“What’s your point?” Eddie cocked an eyebrow.

“He cares for you. I can see it in his eyes. So don’t think he’s blowing you off to go smoke his little cancer stick with Bev, those two are like siblings, so any flirting is purely for fun. Anyways, I’ve gotta go” Stan said.

Stan had taken one step away from Eddie when he asked “wait! Stan, what’s a circumcision?” He felt weird asking, since he had a feeling it was something dirty.

Without missing a beat, Stan replied with, “Oh, it’s when they chop the tip of your dick off”, his eyes were hooded and a sly smirk was plastered on his lips. Eddie’s cheeks went red as they parted ways and he waved goodbye to Stan.

Eddie went to english and caught up with Alley, she filled him in on what had happened with her group of friends over lunch, which wasn't much. But Eddie appreciated the gesture.

The rest of the day was uneventful, Eddie spent most of the class time just listening to what his teachers had to say and adding to his ever growing list of work that needed to be done.

Once the final bell rang, Eddie was up from his chair and out to his locker. He recalled the offer Richie had made to go over to the Tozier’s for dinner, but Richie hadn’t mentioned anything about it since and he hasn't seen the fellow Ancestor since lunch. By the time Eddie finished packing his bag he had accepted the fact that Richie had probably forgotten or something and instead prepared himself for his walk home.

He was two steps away from the main doors of the school when a voice rang out through the halls “Eddie!”.

Eddie has never turned around faster in his life. Richie ran up to him, with Stan in tow. “Hey! Still game for dinner tonight?” he gave Eddie the smile that creates butterflies in his stomach.

“I-I wasn’t sure-” Eddie began to ramble but he was cut off.

“Aw, isn’t this sweet. The fairies are all together again. What? Gonna go to some big gay gang bang in the back?” A solo Henry Bowers waltzed through the hallways.

“Oh go blow your dad” Richie growls, _literally_. Eddie notices immediately, so does Stan. What the two didn’t see was how hard Richie was clenching his fists, how his nails, his claws, had practically begun to draw blood.

“Can we please just g-” Stan tried to end it before it began but to no avail.

“Then they wonder why this town is going to fucking hell-” Now it was Henry who as cut off. Richie charged him, literally. He rushed towards him, grabbed his shoulders and threw him against the lockers.

Just as fast as Richie was on Henry, Stan was on Richie. “We need to go _now_ ” He pulled Richie by the arm out of the hallway and into the front yard of the school. Quickly Stan found a quiet corner and shoved Richie, “What the hell was that. You need to control yourself Rich”, his voice was stern and his stare was like daggers.

Eddie had watched the whole thing and carefully followed behind them. “Get out of here Eddie. This is private” Stan commanded, it sent a shiver down the other’s spine.

“Leave him alone Stan, _he knows_ ” Richie huffed, his eyes as yellow as glow sticks. Stan took one glance at this and immediately grabbed a pair of sunglasses from his bag and shoved them on the werewolf’s face. (on top of his normal glasses)

“What would you do without me…” He mumbled to himself as he served the rest of Richie, his eyes were now covered but his claws were out. “And how does _he_ know. You literally just met him yesterday, can you seriously not keep your mouth shut for more then-”

“I’m a hybrid too” Eddie chimed in.

“ _What?_ ” Stan turned to look at Eddie.

The bunny turned to make sure there were no wandering eyes, or any eyes matter a fact. There weren’t, which was good. With that, Eddie turned his attention back to Stan. It only took him a blink of his eyes for them to revert to their naturel magical state of ice blue.

His jaw dropped, “Shit…” Stan mumbled under his breath.

Their moment was disrupted by an agonized groan. The human and the Ancestor turned towards the werewolf who was now leaned up against the school. He closed his eyes and began to slide down the wall, to the ground.

“Richie, are you okay?” Eddie snapped out of his trance and went to kneel down beside him.

“It-It hurts” the wolf whispered, clutching his abdomen. “Full moon… 16 days. F-First change” Richie rolled his neck, eyes still closed.

“R-Really? You haven’t had your first shift yet?” Eddie realized with a nod of Richie’s head. “This is only gonna get worse…” The rabbit mumbled under his breath.

“What?” Stan was now beside Eddie, he stared at him, confusion filled his voice.

“This full moon is gonna be his first full shift. These are the symptoms, and they’re only gonna get worse” Eddie explained. He reached a hand out and put it on Richie’s shoulder. The werewolf moved his hand to cover Eddie’s. In response, Eddie squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Eddie took a moment to think about how he could help. After he leaned down and wrapped his arms around Richie, hugging him. Richie sucked in a breath at the sudden motion, “You’re okay” Eddie whispered.

Stan watched as Richie’s eyes slowly opened, the pain suddenly washed out of his eyes. The human squinted as he observed.

Eddie soon let go, happy to see Richie looked a little more put together. “What did you do?” Stan’s asked, his voice was calm yet curious.

“Well… Some Ancestors have healing powers. Sometimes they come in handy” Eddie said with a wink. He was about to continue to explain his powers when he noticed Richie had begun to stand up. Eddie rushed to help him up, his knees still a little weak.

“Thanks” He breathed as he put a lot of his weight on Eddie.

A car honked, three heads turned to see their friend Bill in his red 2005 Toyota Corolla. He waved at them impatiently.

No one moved their gaze away from the car, “What’s he doing here?” Richie asked.

“How long has he been watching?” Eddie’s stomach dropped at the thought of his secret, _their_ secret getting out.

“Sorry, ugh. I forgot Bill was gonna drive me home today. I-I’ll see you guys later” Stan seemed rushed and unsure. He didn’t know whether to stay with The Ancestors and help Richie or go to his ride and make sure Bill didn’t see anything. He chose the latter, as he knew that if he made Bill wait any longer, the suspicion would only grow.

The two friends waved at the other in the car as it drove away. Eddie took that moment to push one more burst of energy into Richie. “Better?” He asked quietly.

“Better” Richie confirmed, a smile now painted over his face. With the sudden burst of energy that now flooded the wolf’s viens, he bravely took Eddie’s hand in his and began to skip back to his car. Eddie hesitated only for a moment. He watched the way Richie smiled and skipped and twirled, as if he had no care in the world and none of that had just happened. He couldn’t hold it back, so he joined in with him.

Word Count: 3282 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe we're already on chapter 5! If you think this is good, then get ready cause it's only gonna get better from here! So take a seat, stick around for a while, and join me on this journey. 
> 
> Anyways that's all for me guys, I'll see y'all next week with chapter 6!
> 
> Until then
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


	6. =~•Chapter 6•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie meets Wentworth and Maggie Tozier for the first time and Richie is worried about his first full moon.

For his second time ever in a car, it wasn't as bad as the first. Sure it was still bad, but this time Richie made sure to keep his eyes on the road and took it easy, one hand on the steering wheel and the other held Eddie’s hand. Every time Eddie’s grip tightened, Richie would rub circles over Eddie's knuckle. There was even a moment where Eddie’s fear subsided and he was able to tilt his head to the side and give Richie a small smile, which was greeted by a smirk from the driver. 

They pulled up to a house that Eddie could only assume was Richie’s. Before he had a chance to ask, Richie was already up and out of the car. He zoomed over to the passenger side door at an inhuman speed,  _ cause he’s not human _ , Eddie smirked. He was slightly surprised when Richie opened up the passenger door and offered his hand out to Eddie. The rabbit stared at it for a moment, shocked at the gesture but quickly accepted it before the moment was lost, Richie helped him out of the car. 

“Thank you” Eddie blushed as he steadied himself on the pavement.

“You’re very welcome, my dearest Spaghetti” Richie did a small bow as a sign of respect. It only made Eddie’s cheeks redder. 

“My parents are still at work but they’ll be home in about an hour or so. Until then, it’s just you and me, Eduardo” The first thing Richie did when he stepped inside the house was toss his beanie off and wiggle his wolf tail out from under his shirt. Eddie’s shoulders lowered as a small smile creeped onto his face at the sight of how comfortable Richie seemed now.  _ Now he's in his element.  _ Eddie followed suit, removing his beanie, his bunny ears stood tall on his head, the sight brought a smile to Richie’s already bright face. 

After, Richie showed Eddie around the house. It was fairly modern, an updated kitchen at Maggie’s request, and a flat screen TV at Wentworth’s request. Everything was fairley neat and put together, Richie’s room, not as much but still no disaster zone. His bed was loosely made and his clothes almost all made it into his closet, while his desk was covered in papers and books, the far corner was home to a bookshelf that was jam packed with books but mostly comics. 

“This is where the magic happens. Seriously though I wanted to be a magician for the longest time” Richie held his hands out to show off his room. Eddie’s eyes wandered over the room, then they spotted the comics and they suddenly doubled in size. He gasped, kneeling down to examine the collection. “You like comics? I’ve got a massive collection if you wanna read” Richie smiled at the sight of Eddie’s excitement. 

Eddie was almost too shocked to speak, “Y-you know, my dad always brought back comics for me when he went out into the world” He practically whispered as he picked up one of the Spiderman comics. He was always his favourite hero, he owned most of his comics, well he used to. When he was packing his bag he had to sacrifice his Spiderman comics to make room for the box of his dad's things. The sight of the comics nearly brought tears to his eyes. 

“W-Wanna read ‘em?”  _ God I sound like Bill _ . The boy mentally rolled his eyes at himself.  _ It’s just Eddie, but it’s  _ _ Eddie _ _. Eddie, the only person you willingly told your secret. The only person who shares that same secret…. _

Eddie’s eyes lit up, “Yes!” he beamed. 

Richie nodded and promptly grabbed an entire stack of comics off of his shelf, including most of his Spiderman ones. He brought them over to his bed and plopped them down beside him. Patting the space beside him on the bed, Eddie eagerly crawled over and sat on the bed. The two got comfortable, sitting with their backs against the wall and their shoulders up against one anothers. Unsure of how to do this, Richie picked up the comic Eddie had been holding and held it out between them. He opened it up and wiggled his eyebrows at Eddie as a motion to read. So they read it together. They did the same with the next comic, and the one after that, and the one after that.

By the time they flipped the final page of their 5th comic book, the pair’s magical ears both perked up at the sound of the front door, it opened and closed, then a sigh was released and Richie slid on his beanie, stating it was his parents. Eddie grabbed his hat, pulled it over his ears then followed the taller boy out of his room and down the stairs to where his parents were standing in the kitchen. 

“Son! Good to see you, how’s ‘a going?” Wentworth smiled as his offspring gave him a quick hug. Eddie lingered in the entrance, watching as Richie greeted his parents. 

Richie took a step backwards, closer to Eddie. His voice slipped into one of a tv announcer, “Maggie, Went, I have gathered you two here as we have a very special guest here with us today. Now, I have the honour of presenting to you, the amazing, the  _ cute _ (Eddie’s heart skipped a beat at that), Edward Kaspbrak” He announced. Eddie took the cue and finally stepped into the light and Richie put his arm around the shorter boy as a means of showing him off. 

“Hello! Thank you for having me” Eddie smiled warmly. 

Maggie returned the smile as they shook hands, then doing the same with Wentworth as they exchanged their greetings. “Richie has told us so much about you. Especially since you’re new to Derry, how are you adjusting?” Maggie inquires. 

“Oh, I’m settling in nicely, Richie has been a big help” He gives a side glance to Richie who smiles proudly. 

“And where did you live before you moved here, son?” Went asks. 

Richie had mentioned that his parents would be interested in meeting Eddie, for various reasons, but also because he was an Ancestor. But Richie wasn't entirely sure how to bring up to his parents that his new friend was a hybrid. Before Richie can say anything, and before Eddie could clearly think over his answer, he responded with “The All Lands, I’m sure you're familiar with it, Mr Tozier. It’s the sister city of Everfalls” he said matter-of fact-ly. 

The mood in the room shifted, as if Eddie had overstepped some invisible line, “I beg your pardon?” Went asked.

Eddie’s eyes went wide, “Oh! I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said-”

“Eddie’s an Ancestor” Richie interrupted. 

The parents shared a worried look, “Rich, this better not be some sick joke or else I swear to god-” Maggie was cut off by her son.

“No! I swear, show ‘em Eds” Richie nudged Eddie as he tried to not acknowledge the nickname. 

Hesitantly, Eddie tugged at the side of his beanie and pulled it off of his head. He could feel his rabbit ears begin to perk up at the lack of hat holding them down. He could also see the way the wave of amazement that washed over Richie’s parents, or maybe it was shock?

“You are a long way from home…” Went’s voice drifted off, he squinted his eyes and got a better look at the ears that stood tall on the boy’s head. 

Richie, ignored the tension in the room and literally shook his hat off his head, which allowed his wolf ears to roam free. 

The silence only grew from there, and it almost reached the point of deafening until Eddie spoke up. His voice was quiet and remenicent, “I was given the death penalty for trying to help a human... So I ran”.

“Oh… Honey, I’m so sorry.” Maggie’s face softened.

Even as the mood in the room shifted, Eddie still felt guilty for just springing this on them. “I don’t mean to cause any trouble, really. I just got here a couple days ago. I-I don’t plan on going back,  _ ever _ . I’m sorry if I ambushed you or anything”.

“N-No, don’t sweat it. We were just surprised. I haven’t seen anyone from Everfalls- or any of the other Ancestor colonies as a matter of fact, since I left. Since I was banished” His voice sounded nostalgic, as if he were remembering a time before Richie and Eddie. “I have a feeling they took Derry off their maps after they heard I settled here. They don’t want anyone to have contact with the Banished” he explained, “So you should be safe here, son. Plus even if that damned council does search for you, they’d never come close enough to human civilization to even see anything”.

A weight was lifted off of Eddie’s shoulders and he let out a sigh of relief, finally letting go of a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. A comforting hand was placed on Eddie’s shoulder. He recognized the tender touch to be Richie, his thumb began to move in small circles. Eddie wanted to do nothing more than simply melt into the touch. 

“You’re welcome here whenever you please, Eddie” Maggie added with a warm motherly tone.

~

Dinner time rolled around and everyone took their place at the table to eat. Richie and Eddie sat side by side while Went and Maggie sat on the opposite side to them. “So Eddie, do you have any plans for the full moon this month. I can only imagine that being half rabbit isn’t too much of a hassle” Went asked as they passed around the mashed potatoes. Tonight the Toziers were serving roast beef with mashed potatoes and corn. Everything homemade with love, Went cooked the roast beef so it came out tender and flavourful. Werewolves had a thing for meat, as well as cooking it to perfection. 

“Yeah, I doubt it’s as much of a hassle as being part wolf. Uh- but no, I don’t have any plans. Honestly? It didn’t even cross my mind” His smile faltered only slightly. “Back in The All Lands, we usually had this big ceremony where everyone would shift- yeah…” He cut himself off as he didn’t really wanna get into it. 

“Well you’re more than welcome to spend it with us if you’d like” Went offered before taking in a forkful of food. 

“But this is no regular full moon. Oh no, it’s Richie’s first full shift!” Maggie practically squeals, with a smile that’s wide and proud. 

Eddie looked over at Richie and could see how hard he was resisting the urge to roll his eyes, instead he opted for “Mom he already knows, stop embarrassing me.” He sounded like a kid who was begging their parents to stop showing their friends the pictures of them taking baths as a child. 

“Rich, let your mother be excited. You know I remember my first shift like it was yesterday. Funny story actually-” 

“You broke your window and bit your neighbour, yeah dad I know” There was an edge to Richie’s voice, Eddie picked up on it as well as the way he tightly gripped his fork and knife, his knuckles almost turning white. Suddenly he put them on the table and stood, “May I be excused, I need to piss” Richie asked but had already left the room before his parents could respond. 

Eddie kept his eyes on his food in front of him, only after a moment did he look up at Richie’s parents. It looked like they were having a wordless conversation, only with their eyes. Maggie noticed Eddie’s wandering eyes and spoke up, “Sorry about that Eddie. Rich gets- moody” 

“No it’s alright” Eddie forced a warm smile. The three kept up the small talk for another 10 minutes or so. Maggie asked about Eddie’s living situation while Went asked him about The All Lands and his other side. Eddie hadn't realized how at peace he was until the chatting quieted, instead replaced by the tell tale sounds of utensils clicking against dinnerware and the chewing of food. Something about how normal everything was just made Eddie feel like he was finally at peace with, himself, with  _ everything _ . 

The peace lasted as quickly as it came. It had been a solid 15 minutes since Richie disappeared to ‘piss’. Eddie took a moment and lowered his fork and knife, instead he reached out towards his cup and took a long, slow sip. During that time he focused his hearing and tried to see if he could hear Richie. He was met with the sounds of labored breaths, sniffles, and… light sobs?  _ Shit _ , Eddie mentally cursed as he tried to keep his facial expressions neutral. 

Slowly he raised from his chair and calmly announced he was gonna go check on Richie. Once he turned the corner, he let his hearing focus again and he quickly located the wolf. The sounds got louder as Eddie approached Richie’s closed bathroom door. He could hear through the door that Richie was trying to calm his breathing, but even Eddie knew how hard that can be when you’re overwhelmed. 

Lightly, Eddie knocked on the door, waited then spoke softly, “Are you okay?”, he reached down to try the doorknob but of course it didn’t budge. 

The sobbing went silent for a moment, then continued but it was quieter, more like heavy breathing. 

“Rich, please open up” Eddie leaned his forehead against the door, “Please”. 

Eddie’s small voice, it broke Richie, more than he already was. His entire body was shaking, his breathing labored, and his throat ached. Yet he tried to steady his hand as he reached out and unlocked the door, then let go and fell back against the bathroom wall, curling back in on himself. 

The rabbit heard Richie shuffling around before he heard the clicking of the doorknob unlocking. He waited a beat and listened as Richie huffed. He reached back down and slowly turned the doorknob, this time the handle turning under his grasp. Holding his breath, he opened the door just enough to slide inside the bathroom. Slowly shutting the door behind him with a soft click. 

What Eddie saw sent a shiver up his spine, his entire body suddenly went stiff at the sight of Richie. He saw the teen huddled in the corner, knees brought up to his chest, and his dark curls dangled down covering his eyes. His wolf ears had gone flat against his head, and his tail tightly wrapped around his waist. Richie inhaled sharply, his soft sobs had returned.

Eddie’s heart was breaking as he kneeled down beside Richie, tilting his head down to try to catch the other’s gaze. To no avail,the wolf’s eyes were hidden behind a curtain of curls. Eddie didn’t speak, he simply moved over beside Richie and wrapped his arms around him. He waited until Richie began to lean into his hug to pull him closer. Richie’s arms shook as they unfolded from around him, but quickly folded again, this time around Eddie’s form. He buried his face into the other boy’s chest. Eddie felt Richie’s chest ache and vibrate with every shaky breath. 

One of Eddie’s hands rubbed soft circles into Richie’s back while the other was buried deep in his forest of curls. His head rested carefully upon Richies as he began to whisper sweet nothings into his hair. 

“Rich, you’re okay. I’m here. You’re safe, I’ve got you” He kept rambling on and on, thinking of every cheesy line he could to try to make Richie’s tears stop. 

When his breathing finally began to even out, Eddie decided it was as best time as ever to ask, “Richie… what’s wrong?”, he kept his voice soft and warm. 

The feeling of Eddie’s breath on Richie’s neck sent shivers down his spine. “T-The full moon… Eds- I-I can’t do it….” His voice was weak and scared. 

“Wh-What do you mean?” Eddie pushed Richie away, keeping his hands on the other boy’s shoulders as he examined his face. 

Richie wouldn’t meet his gaze, “What if I change, and I-I can’t change back? Or what if I lose control? W-What if I hurt someone, Eds- What if I hurt  _ you _ ”. The last part chipped a piece away at Eddie’s heart, sad that  _ he  _ was the one that caused Richie so much pain. 

“Rich- that won't happen” he stopped only for a moment before rephrasing. “I won't let that happen” a sternness filled his voice.

“H-how can you be so sure?” Richie wiped away at a stray tear. 

“I've been shifting for a couple years now… I've even taught others about shifting, back in The All Lands.” 

“You sure?”. 

“Richie, I swear on my dad's hat. I'd never let anything happen to you. You trust me don't you?” The question caused his lips to curve into a smile, only slightly. 

The tension began to fade, “Ed's, t-this might sound fucking insane…. But I trust you a lot more than I trust most of my other friends.” Richie mirrored the small smile. 

“I-it’s not crazy. I know what you mean” Eddie whispered, realizing how close he's grown to this wolf within the few days that he's known him. Richie leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. An intimate gesture that filled Eddie's stomach with a feeling that he's always tried to push down. Something he's dealt with his entire life. A side of him that his mother always frowned upon. That's why he's never come to terms with it, why he's never accepted it- or himself. That's why the butterflies in his stomach and the quickly beating heart in his chest seemed so foreign to him. 

Richie slowly straightened up, but he didn't leave Eddie's grasp. “We should go back down there before my parents start to think we're having sex or something.” The joke brought a smirk to both of their faces. 

Eddie gave him a playful shove, “You'll be okay?” He moved his hand to cup the side of Richie's face, he gently began rubbing circles on the boy’s cheek. 

“Yeah” he said as that familiar spark of joy returned to his gaze as he put his hand on top of Eddie's, “I'll be okay.”

**Word Count: 3048**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will happen during Richie's first full moon?  
> Will Eddie be able to help him like he said?  
> You'll just have to wait and see!
> 
> Anyways as always I hope that you guys enjoyed this new chapter. Don't forget to like and comment, tell me what you're most excited for and what your favourite part was. 
> 
> And Always, until next time.
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


	7. =~•Chapter 7•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie shows Eddie what nachos are and helps him study for a test.

By the end of the week, Friday, Richie and Eddie fell into a rhythm. Eddie would meet Richie and Bev out at the front of the school and hang out with them until home room started. They'd all eat together for lunch. Most days after school they'd either go to Eddie's house or go to Richie's, Eddie usually stayed for dinner. The Tozier's grew particularly fond of Eddie even within a short time of knowing him. He's a well mannered boy who also seems to be the only person in town who shares their secret, so they've all grown close with time. 

Now it was Sunday, Eddie was sat on his kitchen counter watching Richie with a curious eye as he scavenged the kitchen cabinets. He mindlessly played with his dad’s compass to keep his hands busy. Eddie has done some grocery shopping for himself so he had a good amount of food. Richie had searched the fridge and most of the cabinets, “Rich? What the crap are you looking for?” Eddie's voice was something of a giggle, his gaze followed Richie who went from cabinet to cabinet. 

“What I am looking for, my dearest spaghetti. Is-” his voice cut short “AHA! I knew you'd had them”. 

Eddie hopped down from his perch, “and what is  _ them?”  _ he quirked a brow and smiled a devilish smirk. 

“Oh just you wait Eduardo” Richie held the item behind his back, his lips mirrored Eddie's. 

Eddie held his hands up in defeat, “Alright, alright”. 

Richie busied himself with making whatever concoction he was creating, but that didn’t stop him from talking. “So, SpaghEds, with the whole  _ complete shift  _ thing, where’s the weirdest place you’ve shifted?” Richie does this, he asks questions. With the full moon approaching he has grown more curious about Eddie’s powers and his transformations. 

One specific memory came to mind, and it hit close to home. “Oh” Eddie sucked in a breath. He trusted Richie, of course he did, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to get into this. “Well… I-um, I get anxious sometimes, and when I get anxious,  _ really  _ anxious, sometimes I fully shift. It’s only happened twice though-” He was cut off by Richie, who finally turned to face him. 

“So instead of most people who curl into the fetal position, you shift into a fucking white rabbit?” Eddie didn’t appreciate the amused grin that played over his lips. 

“Yeah, so what dickwad?” He spat back. Suddenly he’d become defensive. His anxiety was something he didn’t tell a lot of people about so he certainly didn’t appreciate when he finally decides to confide in someone and what does he get in response? A laugh.

Richie could physically sense the mood shift in the room. Eddie crossed his arms over his chest, hung his head low and kept his eyes off of him. Quickly, Richie slid his concoction into the oven, set the timer then took a step towards Eddie.

“Hey…” He carefully moved his hand under Eddie’s chin and slowly tilted his head upwards, their eyes meeting. His voice was slow, serious, with a little happiness sprinkled on top to keep the mood light, “I’m kidding” he offered with soft eyes. 

Finally, Eddie let his arms drop to his side, “I know Rich, I-Just don’t joke about that stuff okay? I’ve struggled with that shit since I was a kid. It’s hard…” his voice drifted off .He wanted to look away but Richie’s hand moved to cup his check. 

“I’m sorry-” Richie’s apology was interrupted by the beeps of the oven timer. Richie’s eyes lit up as he remembered what he’d made. Without a further thought, he planted a quick kiss on Eddie’s nose and grabbed the oven mits before he went to go take the tray out of the oven. 

Eddie leaned against the counter for support, his legs felt like they were going to give out from underneath him.  _ What’s happening? What just happened? He- Holy shit Richie kissed me. Well he kissed my nose- STILL!  _ The realization made Eddie’s heart swell and his hands sweat. The area where Richie’s hand had once cupped his check felt cold with the sudden absence of warmth.  _ What does this mean? This feeling… No way, it can’t be. And why with him? Why don’t I feel this with Alley? Or Bev? Or literally anyone else aside from my fucking best friend.  _ The bunny simply watched Richie, his wide, toothy smile and his shiny eyes, even if they hid behind massive coke bottle glasses. His stare always seemed to brighten his mood. The thought dawned on Eddie like a sack of potatoes,  _ It’s because none of them are Richie.  _

Richie’s voice pulled Eddie out of his thoughts. “Apology nachos?” Richie’s lips were curved in a half smile. 

Eddie’s eyes were wide with his new realization, unsure how to act, he opted to ask “What are nachos?” he scrunched up his face. 

“What? They don't have nachos in The All Lands?” He cocked an eyebrow at the shorter boy. 

“Seems like it” Eddie joined Richie at the table, claiming the seat beside him. 

“Well, they’re literally the best thing since slice fucking bread. Tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, cheese!”.

“Tort-il-y chips?” Now it was Eddie’s turn to cock an eyebrow. 

Richie held a bag, “It’s what I was looking for before! Now come on, eat before they get cold”, he instructed before he grabbed a chip for himself. 

Eddie examined the way Richie grabbed a chip and shoved the whole thing in his mouth. Richie noticed and gave Eddie his iconic grin. Even with cheese and chips in his teeth, it still made Eddie’s heart skip a beat. He covered up his blush by giving Richie a shove, “Close your trashmouth! That’s gross” He couldn’t hide the laughter in his voice. Richie simply responded by closing his mouth and pointed at the tray, gesturing for him to eat. So that’s what he did, and let’s just say, for a heap of cheese on a chip, it was pretty damn good. 

After the two had finished, Richie offered to help Eddie clean up. “Ready for the English test tomorrow?” He asked as Eddie handed him a plate to be dried. 

“Shit- Is that tomorrow?” Eddie almost dropped the plate in his hands. His eyes went wide as his thoughts began to race “I thought that was next wednesday. Oh my god Richie I haven’t even started studying for that. My mark is low enough in that class, I’m so gonna fail”.

“I-I can help you study” Richie offered shyly, eager to spend more time with him. Yes, they’d been spending a lot of time together already, but when Richie was with Eddie, he felt at ease. For once in his life he had someone who shared his secret who wasn't his parents. There was an aspect of freedom to it, he was able to walk around without a hat and with his tail in the open. He also couldn’t help to acknowledge the way his stomach twisted whenever Eddie laughed at his jokes, or how his heart always seemed to speed up whenever their fingers brushed against each other. Richie lived for the moments where it was appropriate for him to hug Eddie, or take his hands in his. Even the once in a lifetime opportunity he just had, when he kissed Eddie’s little nose. Sure it was a spur of the moment thing and Eddie probably didn’t think much of it anyways… Plus Richie only did it to cheer Eddie up,  _ right? _

“Seriously? No, you can’t. Y-You’ve gotta be back home in an hour cause your mom is making your favourite” Eddie had remembered that small detail from when Richie told it to him early that day, of course he had. He always remembered the little things, the way Richie always tugged at his beanie when he was nervous, how his eyes always found Eddie’s in his time of need, even down to the little details like what the Toziers were gonna make for dinner. 

Richie reached a hand out and planted a reassuring hand on Eddie’s shoulder, “And if I tell my mom I’m helping  _ you _ , she’ll gladly save me some for later. I can’t have my little Eds failing, now can I?”. 

_ My Eds _

Those words stuck out to Eddie. As if Richie had taken a highlighter to their story and outlined it with a colour almost as bright as his eyes.  _ His _ . Eddie liked the sound of that. But he shoved the feeling down. He had more important things to deal with. 

“Only if you’re sure” Eddie returned to doing the dishes. Tilting his head down to hide his rosy cheeks. 

“I’m as sure as I’ll ever be! I’ll stay until you know this shit like the back of your own hand!” Richie exclaimed which only made Eddie blush harder. 

“Thanks Chee” The nickname slipped out which caused Eddie’s eyes to go wide as he realized what he’d just called him. 

Richie froze and stared at the rabbit, “W-Wait sorry, what was that?” He asked with an amused smirk.

Eddie couldn’t hold back the smile that spread across his face, “What? You have all these stupid nicknames for me, so I thought it was only fair if I gave you one!” Eddie nodded as if he had to confirm his statement. “Chee!” He declared.

Richie chuckled and let his gaze fall to the ground so that way Eddie wouldn’t be able to see his red cheeks. 

After a beat he glanced back up at him who had the same red face, “Chee?” Richie asked with a small, embarrassed smile. “Chee?” He repeated, his smile grew to match Eddie’s grin as he walked up to the smaller boy and wrapped his arms around him. 

“Yes, Chee!” Eddie exclaimed in Richie’s arms. 

The wolf’s heart practically beat right out of his chest as adrenaline ran through his veins. 

“Woah” Eddie let out a small gasp. 

Richie hadn't even noticed he lifted Eddie up and off his feet. With his enhanced wolf strength, little things like this weren’t that hard for him to do. So with the adrenaline in his veins and the spur of the moment vibes in the air. He lifted Eddie higher and spun him around in the air.

Eddie couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his mouth as the air whipped through his hair. He wrapped his arms around Richie’s neck and let his legs fly through the air as Richie spun them. 

Richie laughed and laughed. He had somehow made his way to the couch and with Eddie still in his arms flopped down onto the couch. The two of them let go and rolled around in a fit of laughter. At that moment, they were both  _ happy _ .

Richie ended up staying until Eddie had a firm grasp on the content, which ended up being around 8:pm. They’d studied in Eddie’s room, on the bed of his bay window. The two sat with their backs up against the window, shoulders touching and books sprawled all out around them. 

The sun had just gone under the horizon, the sky coloured a deep purple, slowly it faded to black. Eddie held out Richie’s jacket, which he gratefully grabbed after he slid his converses on. 

“Thank you,” Eddie said for the thousandth time. 

“Stop it. You apologize too much, Spaghetti” Richie smirked at the nickname. 

Eddie rolled his eyes, not in the mood to fight over that right now. His gaze landed on the small stars that began to fill the nights sky above them. 

“Ah, I almost forgot” His voice caught Eddie’s attention. He watched as Richie riffled through his pockets and produced a small block like object, with a blue cover. 

Eddie’s eyebrows scrunched together in curiosity, “Is that-?”

“A phone! For you. I know you don’t have one” Richie held it out to Eddie.

“And I don’t need one. Plus, Richie I can’t accept that” Eddie held his hands up and away from the phone. 

“Oh come on Eds. It’s my old one. It was literally just collecting dust on my dresser. It’ll only be for emergencies. If I need to contact you. Or if you get into trouble. Plus the full moon is literally 12 days away and I’m more prone to outbreaks. If something happens, I’m gonna need your help” Richie’s puppy dog eyes shone through. Sure, maybe Richie was just using that as an excuse to give Eddie the phone, then he’d be able to talk to him even when they weren’t together.

“Fucking  _ fine _ , but only for emergencies” Eddie snatched the phone from the Richie’s hand. He wanted to scowl, but Eddie couldn’t help the excitement that eased into his system at the thought of having a phone.

It only took a couple minutes for Richie to show him the basics of using a phone. How to enter his passcode and find his contacts, which only consisted of Richie, Maggie and Went. Richie claimed Eddie could ask for other numbers at school, but Eddie insisted it was only for emergencies and these were the only ones he needed.

Richie left with a wave and a smile. Eddie couldn’t help but notice the little bit of sadness that he felt once he realized Richie had left without giving him a final hug goodbye.  _ That’s fine. No Worries. Friends don’t always need to hug each other. Right? But he had every other time… So what makes this time different?  _ Those were the thoughts that occupied Eddie’s head as his body went on autopilot. He got finished cleaning up and ready for bed. His body, along with the mood in the house felt a little bit cooler than it had when he was in Richie’s presence. 

The new cobalt blue phone sat on the nightstand beside Eddie’s bed. It emitted a soft vibration sound right when Eddie closed his eyes. He ignored it, instead he turned to face the other side of the room, away from the phone. The second time it vibrated Eddie couldn’t hold back his curiosity any further. He flipped back over and snatched it off his nightstand. 

He fumbled with it only for a second until he clicked the  _ on  _ button. The bright light of the plain white screensaver caused him to squint at the sudden brightness. He looked at the plain white background,  _ Gotta ask Rich to change that,  _ he took the mental note. He carefully punched in his passcode and found the icon with the little red number 2. He reminded himself that it meant he had 2 notifications. He sucked in a breath when he realized who it was from,  _ Richie. _

**Richie:** Goodnight Spagheds 🌙   
**Richie:** _ *1 Photo/ Click to Download* _

Eddie smiled at the electronic box in his hands. His legs curled a little tighter into his chest with the new warmth he craved. It took him a second to figure it out but soon enough he had opened up the photo that Richie had sent. It was a selfie of Richie with his plate of homemade poutine in front of him while he had two french fries sticking out of his toothy smile.

(Example of selfie. Haahhah)

He stared at it until his eyes fluttered shut, sleep took him away. He was ripped from his slumber when he dropped his phone on his face. “Fuck” He groaned as he fumbled with his phone. Desperately trying to turn it off, he pressed random buttons and swiped something. He clicked okay and within the blink of his eye his plain background had changed to the silly selfie of Richie. “Oh” He said with minimal shock. At first he was determined to change it.  _ What would Richie think if he saw this?  _ But sleep was pulling him back under and he decided to figure it out in the morning. He dropped his phone on the bed beside him and flopped back onto the pillow. His final thought was that,  _ maybe seeing Richie every time I turn my phone on wouldn’t be such a bad thing… _

**_Word Count: 2666_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys wassssup
> 
> Kinda a shorter chapter but it's all fluff and cute Reddie stuff so I hope you enjoyed!  
> The plot only evolves from here so get ready. 
> 
> That's all for me guys, don't forget to like, comment and share!
> 
> I will see y'all next friday with a new chapter, but until then. 
> 
> So Long and Goodnight


	8. =~•Chapter 8•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie's day only gets worse the longer it goes on and it causes him to have an anxiety attack.

**(The Day After The Test)**

Everyone knows the saying about waking up on the wrong side of the bed. That morning, Eddie realized what it really meant. Even though he went to bed early, he felt tired and sluggish. It was also a bad hair day, _but I can cover it up with my hat_ \- He looked over at the place he usually kept it, under the bay window, _Shit, where’s my beanie_? He searched his room frantically until he realized that if he didn’t get ready and leave, he’d be late for school. So he begrudgingly pulled a navy blue hoodie over his polo. _The hood will do,_ he thought as he walked out the door.

The weather was grey, the dark clouds that lurked overhead threatened to rain. It reminded him all too well of the day he fled The All Lands, so that didn’t help his mood, _at all_.

Eddie didn’t even get to see Richie and Beverly for their morning smoke (They smoked, not him. He has asthma) because he had 5 minutes before the first bell and he knew that with his luck, today, it’d take him twice as long to open his damned lock.

He burst into the homeroom with 2 minutes to spare. Alley gave him an amused smirk as he rushed to take his seat. “You good there Eddie?” She watched as he nearly spilled all of the contents in his binder on the floor.

“Oh stop finding this so funny” He practically growled, which is something he _rarely_ does, only when he's really pissed, or stressed.

“Sorry, sorry” She shook her head in amusement. “Anyways I was thinking today…” He listened to all she had to say and forced his more genuine smile. _Can this day get any worse?_ He thought as he pulled the blue hood farther up his head.

English class, that’s when it got worse, _a lot_ worse. Just the fact that he had to wear a hood made his day worse, it didn’t sit the same way his beanie did, he had to constantly be pulling it higher as it had a tendency to slide down. Everyone around Eddie seemed to be in a _meh_ mood as well, so that didn’t help him. But the moment he walked into English class and found his test turned backside up towards him. He was greeted by a score of 41%, _that_ , was the final straw.

Without another word Eddie ducked his head and left the classroom. Tears pricked at his eyes, he needed to be alone, he needed to _breathe_. He had taken one step out of the classroom before he ran into someone. He glanced back only for a split second. A familiar face stared back at him.

“A-Are you okay?” Bill’s eyes were filled with worry.

He couldn’t muster anything greater than a whisper, “I’m fine”. He turned and continued down the hall. He quickened when he heard Bill calling out behind him, the words were inaudible over the sound of his heart that beat loudly behind his ribs.

Richie entered his third period english class. His eyes immediately scanned all of the faces in the room, _Eddie’s usually here already_ , he thought as he walked to stand over Eddie’s desk. The paper that sat on its surface sat face up, his heart dropped at the mark that the page displayed.   
Immediately, his head shot up and he found Alley, the girl who showed Eddie around on his first day. “Have you seen Eddie?” His voice took on a new tone of urgency.

“Yeah, he just left, I don’t know where he-” Richie didn’t stay to listen, he was already out the door. Something was _off_ , he could smell it in the air. A sixth sense was telling the wolf to find his rabbit.

“Richie” A familiar voice called out to him. He turned on his heels, but he was met by disappointment as he realized it was Bill who stood before him.

“Yo” Richie said, his voice was distant as he tried to pick up a scent on Eddie. _Shouldn’t be that hard, just gotta find a trail. Focus on it. The smell of rain, evergreen trees and ilacs. The smell you love so much-_

“I ju-just saw Eddie. Is he o-kay? He se-seemed uh-upset” Richie could feel his wolf ears perk up from beneath his beanie, at the sound of the other’s name.

Richie’s eyes grew wide and wild, on the verge of reverting back to their wolf state, “You saw him. Which way did he go?”.

Bill raised his hand and pointed down the nearest hallway, “T-That way- But R-Rich, is everything oh-okay?” Bill interrogated. His voice was filled with concern and worry.

Richie didn’t even get a chance to answer as his feet had already swept him away and down the hall. He was halfway through the empty corridor when he smelt it, heavy rain and freshly picked flowers. _Eds_. Richie broke off into a sprint.

He burst through a set of doors that led outside. Immediately he was greeted by the steady mist of rain that fell from the dark clouds over his head. The yard was fairly quiet, the main sound was Richie’s own heavy breathing as he scanned the area. _Trees, benches, pavement_. He froze when the green grass was disrupted by a white ball of fluff. _White rabbit_. He stared at the creature for a beat as he experienced major dejavu.

Suddenly Richie was back in his room, staring out his window, at a white rabbit. _The same white rabbit_ , a little voice inside his head spoke. It dawned on him almost immediately. _Eddie_. He kicked himself for not piecing it together sooner, first he sees a magical white rabbit, then literally days later he meets a boy who’s half rabbit? It seemed so evident now. But now was no time to stare.

Richie broke free from his thoughts. He began to put distance between himself and the school, slowly he closed the gap between himself and the bunny, that stayed ever so still where it sat. Richie made an effort to not make any sudden movements or overstep, worried that he'd scare the poor thing off.

He couldn’t shake the thoughts that clouded his mind, _why’d he shift? Why here? Why_ _now_ _? That’s so unlike him to be so reckless he must’ve- anxiety._ The memory resurfaced of Richie making nachos and Eddie explained how his emotions can trigger his shift, how during his most intense anxiety attacks, he’d shifted. Richie’s heart ached at the thought, he couldn’t help but wonder what had caused such strong emotions.

He stopped about 5 feet away from the rabbit. With such close proximities, Richie was finally able to make out the colour of the bunny’s eyes. That’s what confirmed his theories. The rabbit shared Eddie’s magical crystal blue eyes. The sight caused the corner of his lips to rise ever so slightly into a small smile.

Without breaking eye contact, Richie steadily lowered himself down to one knee. Then he spoke with a low and confused tone, “Eddie, what happened?”. The rabbit’s eyes went wide at the mention of his own name.

The bunny blinked in response. Without missing a beat Richie realized, _he can’t talk, cause he’s a fucking rabbit. Good going dumbass_. He mentally facepalmed.

Instead of speaking again, Richie shuffled over to sit right in front of the rabbit. “It’s okay. You’re okay” Richie whispered, lowering his head to try to catch the bunny’s glance again.

The rain turned from a mist to something like a drizzle. The bigger water droplets accumulated on the rabbits fur. It sent a shiver up the animal’s spine. He lightly shivered as his nose wiggled a little, in normal bunny fashion.

If Richie’s heart wasn’t aching enough already, then the sight of a shivering bunny for sure made it swell. “Come here” He requested with open arms. He was met by a quizzical gaze, the rabbit’s blue eyes skimmed over Richie and the lap he was offering as a place to sit. After a minute or so, the shivering hadn't stopped, now even Richie felt the chill in the air. “Please?” He wrinkled his eyebrows and attempted his best puppy dog eyes.

Hesitantly, the white rabbit edged its way through the grass. One paw after another. Right until it stood in front of the big human with massive glasses. His little rabbit heart beat happily at the thought of being in such close proximity to the one he’s been fantasizing about most. He climbed over the human’s legs and sat in his lap. He took a moment to get comfortable before releasing a deep sigh. He felt _safe_. It’s something he’s always felt when he was with his wolf.

Richie watched as it got comfortable and felt the little breath as it sighed. Richie did the same, releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He let the moment continue until he was absolutely sure everything was okay. Once he was sure the precious bunny in his lap wouldn’t make a run for it, he slowly moved his right hand to rest on top of the bunny’s white fur.

His heart skipped a little beat at the softness that he was greeted with. Something about Eddie, in his Ancestor form, laying in Richie’s lap, made him feel like the clouds could start downpouring and he’d still feel the same way he does now. Like time had frozen and he finally had time to think. Even if time had frozen, he wouldn’t have wanted to spend eternity with anyone else.

Richie’s hand slowly began to move it’s way down the bunny’s back. The creature in his lap stiffened, only for a moment before moving into the touch. Richie kept that up for a little, just slow, soft pets. He stopped and rested his hand on the bunny’s back once he’d seized his shivering.

“Eds, baby… You can’t stay like this forever. Uh- do you mind if I pick you up?” Richie sounded like Bill as he submitted his request. The thought of being held did not appeal to Eddie. But he trusted Richie, so he wiggled his little pink nose as a positive indication.

Richie’s smile grew as he positioned his hands appropriately around Eddie before he held him up to his face. Now they were at eye level. The two took some time and just studied each other.

Eddie studied a face that he’s been staring at for over a week now. His big chocolate brown eyes, that if he stared too long he’d get lost in their sweetness. His crooked smile and little dimple that he suddenly got the urge to poke. But alas, he was a rabbit, with no fingers, the poking of the dimple would have to wait.

Richie studied a face he’d only seen in his dreams. The white rabbit that started this all. Sure it was only one dream, the night after he saw the allusive creature, but _still_. It was so mysterious. Also the fact that he’d just learned how almost all white rabbits are in someway magical, totally blew his mind. Looking at the rabbit in his hands now, how could he not be magical? It’s Eddie. The sound of his laugh echoed through Richie’s head, sure he had magic, but Eddie had Richie completely smitten all on his own, no magic needed. That’s how much Richie cared for him.

Richie had been wanting to do this for a while now. He knew well enough that human Eddie would’ve given him a slap if he tried this any other time. But now Eddie was a bunny and he couldn’t do anything from stopping Richie’s index finger from bopping his little pink nose. “Boop!” he smirked as the nose automatically scrunched up on impact. The reaction brightened Richie’s smile.

“Okay now, Eds, you can’t shift out here. You’ll freeze your balls off”

If rabbits could roll their eyes, Eddie would’ve done so right about now. He probably would’ve given Richie a smack as well.

Richie’s mind was scheming, the gears behind his eyes turned until they clicked and created an idea. “What if I sneak you into the boys bathroom? The one in the basement has a lock. Bev and I usually go there when it’s too cold to smoke- that’s besides the point” Richie cut himself off, “What do you think Buns?” Richie tested out a new nickname. He received a scrunch of the nose and a twitch of the ears. Eddie hated it and Richie was loving every second of it. But after the bunny gave what could only be interpreted as a nod of his fluffy head.

“Okay! Okay…. Now to get you into the school. _Shit_. Uhhhh- I can’t just bring a rabbit through the front doors” Richie began monologuing out loud. Eddie let out a little huff. Though he always acted like it, he really didn’t find Richie _that_ annoying. He actually enjoyed (for the most part) their constant banter. He hadn't been able to do that with anyone else, _ever_. Something about their constant bickering almost seemed comforting, as if he knew that above all else, they’d always have that.

After a couple minutes of Richie rambling, Eddie’s chill came back and he knew they didn’t have time for another cuddle session. Although Eddie would definitely try again once he was human. Now he needed to get back into the school and shift. With an idea in his head, he wiggled in Richie’s grasp and nudged the wolf’s jacket with his nose.

Richie stopped talking. He hesitated momentarily as he pieced together a plan. “Jacket? Good idea Buns” he nodded in approval.

 _Dear god, please stop calling me that_. Although he thought that, Eddie knew if he were human, his ears would’ve grown hot and his cheeks would be pink right about now.

It took a little bit of adjusting but soon enough, Richie had pulled his hood over his head and loosened the drawstrings as much as possible. From there he held Eddie out and allowed him to crawl inside the hood and find his own footing. Eddie ended up mainly laying over the back of Richie’s neck. It took Richie a second to adjust to the sudden amount of pressure and warmth on his back, but it soon turned into something that soothed him. Similar to the effects of a weighted blanket. He couldn’t stop the thought that entered his head next. _What would Eddie’s body feel like draped over mine?_ He blinked away the thought as he knew they had more important things than his silly little crush. If that was what he was calling it now.

“You good in there SpaghEds?” Richie asked as he put his hand out in front of his hood. He felt a little nose make a little bobbing motion as if to nod its head. “Good. Okay keep quiet in there alright? And only come out when I tell you” He instructed. For safety measures, Richie snaked his phone out of his back pocket and turned the selfie camera on. He looked at himself and watched the little ball of fluff retreat into the darkness of his hood. This hoodie was a couple sizes too big, so the hood draped over his head and allowed Eddie to be hidden within the excess layers of fabric.

After he released a long sigh, Richie clenched and unclenched his fists and began marching towards the school “Let’s do this”.

~

Right as he stepped over the threshold of the school he could sense it. “Keep low” he murmured in a voice so low only Eddie heard. With those instructions, Eddie curled deeper into the back of Richie’s neck.

He turned the corner at the same time as someone else did. Richie’s insitics kicked in and he leaned his shoulder to the side, which allowed him to effortlessly slide past the oncoming traffic. 

“Richie?”

Richie turned on his heels. “Bill! Hey.” He hated how anxious his voice sounded.

“Did you end up finding Eddie?” He asked with concern, but Richie’s tone didn’t go unnoticed, “A-Are you oh-okay?”.

“Me? Yup! I’m fine and dandy, but uh- Eddie on the other hand-” Richie immediately felt the bunny tense up on his neck at the mention of his name. “H-He’s having an anxiety attack. He just texted me” Richie held up his phone. “He’s in the bathroom, I-I’ve gotta go.” Without waiting for a response from Bill, or further questioning, he sped off through the halls. After he made a couple turns, just as he was about to go down into the basement of the school, he checked the halls to make sure Bill hadn't followed them. He even took a moment to let his wolf ears listen for any suspicious movements. Once he was sure they were safe to continue, he opened the door and made his way down the stairs.

The bathroom was empty, of course it was, the basement bathroom was for smokers and make out sessions. And the main people who smoked down here were Richie and Bev, and they scared away most of the horny teens who wanted to use it as their secret make out spot. So yeah, it was empty, and probably would stay like that, unless Bev came. She usually smoked in between classes or outside, so they were safe.

Richie locked the door. Took a moment to catch his breath. He could feel Eddie do the same from inside his hood. The rabbit nudged the back of Richie’s ear with his little head. The nudge brought an amused smirk to the wolf’s face, the soft fur tickled his neck.

“Okay Eds, we’re safe” Richie confirmed as he took a seat on the floor.

He held his hands out on the right side of his hood and waited until Eddie shuffled out. Richie turned his head to glance at Eddie as his little pink nose wiggled, sniffing the air. “Smells good Eds? You like the smell of my smoking hideout?” He said slyly.

Eddie slouched slightly and rolled his eyes, or at least he thought he did. This wouldn’t have been his first choice, or a choice at all. He could only imagine how sticky the floor was, and he didn’t even dare think of what those toilets looked like. But this was where Richie took him, and it _was_ his only option right now. So he had no choice but to wiggle out from the safety of Richie’s hood and into his grasp.

"There you go" Richie held Eddie for a moment. Softly petting his fur, "You're okay... You're okay" he reassured him as he closed his eyes, slowly and slowly leaned against the bathroom door.

Richie wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he was finally brought back to reality when a moist little nose poked the palm of his hand. He didn't move his head, just his gaze, he looked down and saw Eddie had nudged his hand. Then, he did it again, almost as if he was planting small little kisses on his hand. Richie's checks burned and his smile widened.

Eddie hopped he'd get another chance to do that, kiss Richie, as a human of course. But now that's what he really wanted, was to _be_ human. So he turned his neck to look up at Richie who was all red and smiley.

"Yeah yeah, I get the message" Richie groaned, but his voice was more amused than anything. He sat up straighter, leaned forward and let Eddie hop down from his hands. "Do you need me to look away or something?" Richie questioned.

Eddie gave him what he could only assume was a shake of his head, to indicate no. The shifting process varied for the different types of ancestors. For the rabbits it was a little easier, the simple flash of light, then suddenly they're human. Minimal pain. Hell, they even get to keep their clothes. That's the power of Ancestral magic. The rabbit hybrids were one of the first created, so they've had more time to evolve.

Werewolves on the other hand, like Richie, are more recent, only a couple millenniums old. Which makes their magic newer, still raw. Their transformation process is still painful and possibly gruesome.

Eddie has never had to see a werewolf transform, but he couldn't help thinking about what it might be like. Or how much it might hurt for Richie.

For now Eddie tried to keep his mind focused on his own transformation. It wasn't necessarily hard, especially since he wasn't too anxious at the moment, Richie had done a good job at relieving his stress. The pets and scratches had really eased his nerves.

He hopped a couple square tiles away from Richie. He positioned himself, closed his eyes, and started the mental process. He let his conscious travel deep down into the darkness of his mind. It lingered there for a while. On the other side of that darkness, that's where the light was, the light that started the Ancestors. The light that fell from the sky millions of years ago and created the first hybrid.

When he traveled to the light it enveloped his entire form, both physically and mentally. The tingle he was all too familiar with reverberated throughout his body, causing his nose to twitch and his leg to tremor. A rush of manageable pain shot through his body as the light appeared.

Then, Eddie was human.

Richie blinked at the boy that now kneeled in front of him. The transformation was a lot different from the times he’s witnessed Went transform. It was smoother, cleaner. He watched as a little shiver ran through the rabbits body. The flash of light that followed took him by surprise. Suddenly, the rabbit had turned into his friend, and Richie was left speechless. It was like a scene out of some cheesy fantasy movie.

“Holly shit” Richie exhaled, his eyes wide in amazement and shock.

Eddie kept his eyes on the ground ahead of him, a smirk growing on his lips. He was currently kneeling on the floor, with his legs beneath him and his arms stretched out in front of him, holding him up. He shook his head to get a glimpse at Richie. He was quiet, _for once_ , clearly in shock and awe.

Eddie was only able to muster the words, “Cool right?” before his arms gave out from beneath him. He fell face first onto the cool tile floor.

“Shit!” Richie sharply inhaled, immediately diving down to the ground. “Are you okay?” His voice was frantic, the shock finally settled.

“F-Fine” Eddie mumbled with his eyes closed. He flattened out and rolled onto his back.

Richie leaned over him, he moved his hands to Eddie’s shoulders and pulled the boy into a sitting position. RIchie wrapped his arms around Eddie, hugging him tightly.

“What happened? Bill said you looked stressed and-”

“Chee, I failed the test… _And_ I-I lost my dad’s hat.” Richie moved away so he could cup Eddie’s face with his hands.

Eddie began to feel the same stress he had before. The emotions began to fill his head and caused tears to well up in his eyes.

“Your dad’s hat? You mean the one you always wear? Th-The beanie?” Richie stumbled over his words, overwhelmed by the sight of an emotional Eddie.

“ _Yes_ , Richie. The last fucking thing my dad left me…” Eddie’s voice drifted off as the first tear rolled down his cheek.

“Which I lost.”

“Which is right here.”

The two said at the same time. Eddie’s eyes became as wide as saucers, “What?” He questioned, unsure if he heard Richie correctly.

“Yeah! Eds- ah, I’m so sorry I accidentally took it when I grabbed my jacket yesterday” Richie reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and produced Frank’s hat. “I’m really sorry.” His voice was sincere as he met Eddie’s gaze.

Eddie tried not to seem too eager as he took the hat from Richie. He held it to his nose and inhaled the familiar scent. It brought a warm smile to his face, he felt the stress lift off of his shoulders. In the moment, Eddie was so happy he didn’t even think through the words he spoke, “Richie, I’m so happy I could kiss you”.

“You-What?” Confusion snuck onto Richie’s face. He was unsure how to feel, of course he wanted to kiss Eddie, he just never thought Eddie wanted to kiss him back

Only then did Eddie realize he’d been speaking out loud. _Why did I say that? Kissing Richie? Why is_ ** _that_** _what my mind always goes to? He’s just a friend, a really, really good friend. My best friend. And friends don’t just kiss each other,_ ** _guys_** _don’t kiss each other._ Or at least that’s what his mother drilled into his head.

“Nothing! Nothing…. J-Just, thank you for the hat” Eddie kept his eyes on the hat in his hands nervously.

His mother’s voice echoed through his head.

_Eddie Bear, you don’t wanna be like those other dirty birds, now do you?_

_No mama_.

_Boys should never think of other boys like that. Our heavenly father did_ **_not_ ** _put us on this earth to love the same sex. That’s why there are women, and there’s men. You hear me Edward?_

_Yes mama_ _._

_That’s better…_

Eddie abruptly got to his feet, he wobbled slightly but stepped aside from Richie and reached for the door.

“Eds- Where are you going?” Richie’s brow furrowed together, looking up at Eddie.

“Don’t call me that.” His voice was sharper than he would have preferred, so before Richie could say anything about it Eddie continued, “Thank you, for this. But I’ve gotta head back to class”. His fingers fumbled to unlock the door but once he got it, he was gone. 

**Word Count: 4310**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a blast to write! I adored all the cute cuddly scenes and how Eddie's powers are controlled by his emotions. I had been planning an anxiety attack like this basically since the beginning of the book and I'm happy with how it went! As always I hope that you all enjoyed, and if so, leave a comment, tell me your favourite part of this chapter, it always makes me happy to see people like my work. 
> 
> That's all for me, I'll see all of you next Friday with the next chapter!
> 
> Until then, 
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


	9. =~•Chapter 9•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie and Stan go buck wild while Eddie figures out his inner feelings.

That day, after school, Richie waited for Eddie at his locker. The wolf only needed one sniff to realize that Eddie had already come and left. With a sigh, Richie left and made his way back to Roscoe. Where he was surprised to see none other than Stan the Man leaning up against the passenger side door. 

“Staniel! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Richie exclaimed once he saw his best friend. 

“Richie it’s Tuesday, it’s our day to go, as you say ‘buck wild’ and go to the convenience store” Stan begins to explain. 

“Yes yes yes I remembered” Richie did not. 

For the longest time Stan and Richie had a tradition of going to the corner store Tuesday after school to essentially go ‘buck wild’ and eat a bunch of junk food.

Richie clicked the  _ unlock _ button on his car keys and Roscoe’s doors unlocked. Stan opened the side door, Richie walked around to the driver’s side. “It’s fine if you forgot, really. You like Eddie and he’s the main thing on your mind-”.

Richie cut in, “ _ What? _ Eddie’s a good friend, but I do not like him  _ like that _ ” he huffed as the engine roared to life. 

“Don’t lie to me Rich, I see the way you look at him. You care for him-”

“And that’s it, okay? I care for him. I care about you too but that doesn't mean we’re gonna start frenching in the back” Richie retorted, his voice filled with annoyance, his gaze never leaving the road. 

“It’s not like that…” The dark haired teen’s voice trailed off, a hint of defeat filled his voice. 

The friends sat in tense silence for a couple minutes as Richie’s mind went wild with thoughts. Feelings he always tried so hard to repress finally floating to the surface. 

When he finally spoke, he was quiet, almost a whisper, “He’s the first Ancestor I’ve ever met. It just- It felt so good to finally have someone who shares my secret”.

“I know”

“No, Stanny, you don’t. I’ve lived my whole fucking life with this secret, eating away at me from the fucking inside out. Now I  _ finally _ have someone who I can be myself around, my true self. And he’s  _ so  _ cute” He dragged out the O in So, it made the corner of Stan’s lip curly ever so slightly. 

“You’re not wrong. I think he is pretty cute” Stan nodded in agreement. 

Richie’s grip tensed under the steering wheel, “You what?!” he glared at Stan. 

Stanley returned the stare before breaking out in a laugh, “You’re so whipped!” He slapped his thigh. 

Richie didn’t need to ask what he meant. He  _ felt  _ it. His eyes had turned their signature yellow and his blood was burning from within his veins, just at the thought of someone else having feelings for Eddie. 

“Sorry.” Richie whispered as if his feelings had somehow betrayed him. 

“Aww does Wichie have a whittle cwush?” Stan teased. 

Richie huffed and rolled his eyes, not a fan of this. “Yeah, shut it Staniel before I rip your throat out with my teeth” He threatened, but his voice had no anger, only amusement. 

“Fine. But seriously. You know this is okay right? This crush?” 

“It’s not a crush, okay? Just fucking drop it”

Stan rolled his eyes, “Whatever you say Wolfie”, this got a smirk out of Richie.

“At least I haven't been pinning over my best friend since the fucking third grade...” Richie mumbles under his breath. 

“Hey! That's totally different from your situation” Stan turned on the defensive. 

“Oh yeah, like your feelings for Bill are any different than my feelings for Eddie.” Richie rolled his eyes. 

“So you admit you have feelings for Eddie?” Stan asks eagerly. 

“Well yeah that's a given, he's adorable! But now we're talking about your love life.” Richie smirks deviously over at Stan. 

“No we aren't” Stan shoots daggers at Richie. In response the werewolf just smiled a shit eating grin. 

~

Eddie ran home after school. It’s not that he  _ didn’t  _ want to see Richie, he just wanted to figure out what he was feeling before he  _ did  _ see him again. His heart practically beat out of his chest when Richie touched him, his stomach would twist and his nerves would sky rocket. Deep down he knew what it was, but he didn’t want to face it, how could he? His entire life, his mother told him how  _ wrong  _ it was to be gay. Plus Richie probably doesn't even feel the same way, why would he? Eddie literally betrayed his own people after all.

_ I need to blow off some steam. _

Eddie looked outside and noticed the sun was just setting, so he had some time before dark. Just enough time for a run. He changed into his new running gear and started on his way through the forest. The thick scent of evergreen and grass cleared his head by the time he reached the city. Once he reached the city he got down and shifted. He was not really in the mood to explain to anyone why he was out so late at night. 

He started aimlessly exploring Derry, hopping around and doing some people watching. Eddie went around town, familiarizing himself with the area. He found the Subway Alley was talking about that one day, he even stumbled upon a comic book shop that he made a mental note to go to once he was human. The rabbit began making his way down the residential streets, admiring the architecture and seeing what the residents of Derry were doing this time of night. 

He stopped when he reached a familiar house. Somehow he’d subconsciously made his way into a backyard he knew now as the Tozier’s. Nostalgia flooded his head as he recalled the day he first saw Richie, even then he thought the boy was cute… 

A thought dawned on him,  _ I won’t be able to outrun these feelings.  _ Eddie recalled the various times his heart has skipped a beat or when it sped up, when butterflies are let loose in his stomach, when he blushes, all because of  _ Richie _ . 

_ Might as well deal with this shit before it fucking eats away at me from the inside. Plus, what’s the worst that could happen? I admit my feelings, he dosen’t feel the same, I loose the only person who’s ever made me feel safe and at home- Okay this could end pretty badly- fuck my life. _

Eddie didn’t even notice that as he was monologuing in his head, he had edged his way up towards the Tozier residence. Though Richie’s bedroom was on the second floor, Eddie could just make out the vague outline of Richie, was he at the window? Or maybe standing at his desk? The rabbit wasn't sure. But what he was sure of was that the voice he heard was indeed Richie’s. 

It was easy to hear the singing coming through his open window. Richie practically belting out the lyrics at the top of his lungs. “OHHHH EDDIE BABY WON’T YOU COME TO MY ARRRRRMS, TONNNIIGHT!” He sang out as he danced around his room. 

Eddie couldn’t deny the feeling that spread through his body as his heart skipped a beat when he heard the lyrics. 

_ What other Eddie does he know?  _

No matter what explanation he tried to come up with that would explain these current events could not cover up the feeling that Eddie had. Deep down inside he knew that song was for him. He listened until the song ended, that’s when Richie’s phone started ringing. 

The bunny could  _ just _ make out his voice as he talked with whoever was on the other end of the line, “Yeah, you’re here? Like outfront? Jesus Billiard I could’ve just texted you the pages of the textbook” There was a pause, “Okay give me a sec”. Eddie took that as his cue to leave. 

He made his way towards the front of the house where he saw Bill who was standing beside his bike,  _ Silver _ . Bill was one of the first of the Losers to get their license yet most times (unless he was driving the others) he opted to ride his bike. 

Eddie watched as Richie ran out to meet him with a textbook in hand. He didn’t stay much longer, it was getting dark and he didn’t want to be out in the pitch black. 

Eddie stayed in his rabbit form until he found a little tree covered area away from any possible wandering eyes. He shifted and walked the rest of the way home. 

Being an Ancestor grants him some heightened senses, sight, scent, and hearing. That being said, as Eddie shifted, it was surprising that he didn’t hear the soft clicking of an iphone 8’s camera, nor did he hear the low, sudden gasp of Bill Denbrough. 

**Word Count: 1473**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BILL? WHAT DID HE SEE? WHAT'S HE TAKING PICS OF? DID HE SEE EDDIE?
> 
> I know that this chapter is shorter but the next chapter is gonna be a long one as we get to see someone else's perspective...  
> ANyways I hope you guys enjoyed!  
> Until next time
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


	10. =~•Chapter 10•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill’s past catches up to him which could endanger Eddie’s future.

Bill Denbrough had gotten over his father’s death. Yes it hurt, he cried, but what hurt even more was watching the rest of his family deal with the loss. Georgie was torn up and his mother sometimes wouldn’t even leave her room. But they were healing and Bill was better. Yes he has gotten over the death of his father, Zack Denbrough, but he has _never_ been able to shake the feeling that there was always something else he was missing.

The police that found him in the woods said he had been dead on sight. The doctors said he had a heart attack. Which just seemed… _off_ , to Bill.

Zack had left for the weekend for one of his various hunting trips. Most people go out in groups, pairs, when they hunt, not Zack. It’s something he’s done tens of times. Every other time he returned without a scratch. Especially the whole death by heart attack. No one in his family has ever suffered from _any_ heart problems and his father was in great physical shape. So this sudden heart attack, caused Bill to believe that something else might’ve been the cause of his father’s untimely death, he may not know _what_ , but he knows it’s _something_.

The case had gone cold, if that’s even the right term. Since there wasn't really a case to freeze. His father died of a normal heart attack, case closed. So all of his belongings were returned to the family as they were not needed for further investigation. Then, a couple weeks back when Bill was out on the Hanlon's farm with Mike, he lost his phone, never to be found again. Bill opted to inherit his father’s old Iphone 8. His mother was just about to throw it away so he decided to put it to good use.

There wasn't much info on it to erase and Zack mainly used the phone for calling and texting his wife and son (Georgie was too young to have a phone). But when Bill entered his father’s photo album, he was left speechless by what he saw. It wasn't much, no, it was merely a simple photo of a white rabbit. A white rabbit with impossibly blue eyes.

White rabbits were _rare_ , Bill had never seen one before in real life and even then, when you asked someone, they always knew about white rabbits but not many (If any) have actually ever seen one with their own two eyes. That and the fact that the photo was taken the day his father died.

While Richie was explaining the math homework to Bill that night after school, his eyes began to wander. They scanned the Tozier’s yard, eventually falling upon a small white rabbit that sat just behind the corner of their house. It’s icy blue eyes pierced Bill's soul. Suddenly a pit was created in his stomach, it twisted his insides and made his heart beat out of his chest.

Richie tilted his head like a confused puppy, “You good, Big Bill?” he waved a hand in front of Bill’s face to get his attention.

Bill’s mind cleared as he realized where he was, and what he had just seen. “S-Sorry Rich, can you g-give me the sp-sparknotes version? I can’t stay too long, Gu-Georgie is home al-lone” Bill stuttered a little bit more than normal. His thoughts messed up after he saw the rabbit. But nonetheless he carefully listened as Richie quickly explained the rest of the question.

Once they were done, Bill gave his friend a quick goodbye before booking it in the same direction the rabbit went. Richie talked for another couple minutes after he first saw the creature, how far could it have gotten?

~

Bill sunk behind the bush and hid when Eddie turned to look around him. The human held his breath in hopes of not being found, but he worried that whatever that is won’t be able to hear his heartbeat as it was practically beating out of his chest.

Yes, he was still reeling over the fact that he just saw some small white rabbit turn into a full fledged human. _Eddie, that human is fucking Eddie_. He looked down at his phone that he had just taken the photos on. He made a mental note to check them later when he wasn’t about to be discovered.

_What would he do if he found me? What is he capable of?_

Bill’s mind was spinning. He wasn’t even sure how long he had been sitting there. It was the cold wind of the night that pulled him from his thoughts. When he stood up and looked around, Eddie was gone.

Heading home was hard, Bill was the best biker of all the Losers, yet tonight he nearly tipped over twice and had trouble getting going. He couldn’t shake the image of the white rabbit out of his head.

Bill always _knew_ his father hadn't died of a heart attack. He knew it had something to do with that damned white rabbit, _somehow._ Now he finally has a lead. _Eddie._

~

Going to school the next day Bill's foot wouldn't stop tapping. Not during breakfast when he saw Georgie drinking milk out of his dad's old favourite mug. Nor did it stop on his bike to school, and it certainly didn't stop during lunch when he was the first one at the table watching everyone fill in and waited for the rest of the losers to come, for _Eddie_ to come.

“You okay Bill?” Mike nudged his side. Bill jumped a little at the sudden attention.

Bill shook his head, “Just n-nervous. I've got this b-big project for history” he formulated the lie with ease, after his father passed, Bill had become a little too skilled in the art of lying.

“Need a hand? I had History last semester and I got a pretty good grade if you need help” He offered Bill one of his iconic ‘Mike Hanlon Support Friend’ smiles.

Bill returned the smile, “T-Thanks Mikey, but I should be okay” he noticed Eddie and Richie had entered the cafeteria as he finished his sentence. His eyes found their way down to his lunch where he began to focus on his untouched sandwich.

He waited until the duo got comfortable at the table before he tilted his head up and greeted them. “Ho-How was your n-night?” Bill mentally cursed out his stutter for getting worse under pressure.

Richie inhaled as if he were about to give a speech, “Well Billiam after you left my house I went and jerked it for a-”

“Beep Beep Trashmouth” Stan hissed.

Bill couldn’t help but notice the way Eddie tried to hide his smile as he raised a hand to muffle his giggle. “What about you E-Eddie?” Bill asked with a small nod.

“Oh! My night was fine, just studied and watched TV” He responded with a shrug.

Bill nodded in understanding. The human waited until the conversation became dull before he spoke his mind, “H-Have you guys ever suh-seen a white rabbit around he-here?”. He had to bite his tongue to ensure he didn’t smirk when he saw Eddie visibly flinch under the table.

“It’s actually pretty interesting cause they’re the rarest type of rabbit” Ben informed them with a little pride in his voice.

Mike took a moment to think over his answer before he spoke, “I’ve never seen any near the farm. Well, I’ve seen lots of rabbits, but never white ones” he realized.

“Weird…” Beverly’s voice trailed off as she stared at her uncapped water bottle she held in her hand. She then shrugged, unphased by the realization and took a swig of her water.

Neither Richie nor Eddie contributed to the conversation, and Bill noticed. He also noticed the silence conversation the two shared with their glances and glares. Bill didn’t mention it though, he can’t give them reason to start wondering about him, not when he’s _this_ close to finding out what really killed his father.

The final bell of the day rang throughout Derry High as Bill and Mike walked out of their final class together, Writer's Craft.

“Hey Mikey?” Bill asked.

Mike turned to look at him as he caught his attention, “Yeah Big Bill?”.

“Can I tu-talk to you?” Bill requested as he paused before the boys bathroom and gestured for him to follow.

Mike followed without further question, because that’s the type of friend he was. Always there for everyone.

It was the end of the day so the bathroom was empty. Mike spoke first, “Is everything all-”.

“I think I have a lead on my dad’s murderer” Bill cut him off, getting straight to the point. Not a stutter in sight.

Mike’s face instantly scrunched up, “W-What? Bill your dad had a heart attack”.

“W-we don’t know for sure-”

“Yes we do! Bill I know it was hard but how many times have you come to me saying that?” Mike stopped mid sentence. He let out a small sigh before continuing, his voice held a tinge of sadness as he knew how hard it’s been for Bill. “There’s literally no other way your father could have died. He didn’t have any physical trauma and there weren’t even any fingerprints, it was just his heart” Mike tried to keep a calm tone, but it was hard.

Bill shook his head, “L-Look” He said as he slid his phone from his back pocket and entered his camera roll where he intended on showing Mike the photos he took of Eddie during the previous night. But when he clicked on his most recent photos, all of the ones he took of Eddie were white, as if he had taken then with the flash and it had whitened them out.

“W-What? Mike, no- I swe-ear they were here” Bill’s breathing began to quicken as he rapidly scrolled through his phone. _NO, No, no, no, no…_

He was about to speak when Bill’s breath hitched. Mike enveloped him in a hug. Bill buried his face in Mike’s shoulder.

“I know, it’s hard… Really hard.” Mike whispered as he began to rub slow circles into Bill’s back, “I know…”.

~

The conversation he previously had with Mike was on replay while Bill slowly walked through Derry. He kept a close eye on his target. He ducked behind bushes and hid behind trees in hopes of going unseen like he had last time. He followed a solid 30 feet behind his target, always staying out of sight.

He followed him through town, passed all of his friends houses and all of the main buildings. The houses became bigger and more spread out. Bill looked down at his watch, he’d been on this trail for nearly an hour.

 _Where are you going Eddie_?

Bill glanced from behind a tree and watched as Eddie entered the forest. The human watched for a couple minutes before he continued behind him. Bill followed him into the deep woods and down an old overgrown path. He could see the end of the path ahead, so he sat behind a cluster of rocks, casually peaking out every now and then, only moving once Eddie left the forest. He made his way quickly to the end and hid behind a tall evergreen tree. He watched as Eddie walked out into the middle of an empty field and just simply _disappeared_.

“What the…” Bill’s eyes grew wide as he got to his feet. He waited and watched, slowly walking backwards.

_Where did he go? What the hell just happened?_

He kept moving backwards, his mind was so overwhelmed that he didn’t even notice the rock under his foot. He only noticed it once it caused him to trip and fall backwards. He landed on his back with his hands trying to soften the blow.

_Fuck this_

Were Bill’s last thoughts before he scrambled to his feet and fled. 

**Word Count: 1994**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Billiam's villian backstory finally plays out MUHAHAHAHAHAH I hope you guys enjoyed! ANd that everyone is excited to see what comes next! Cause stuff is finally starting to happen and I'm so excited for y'all to see it!
> 
> Until then I'll see you next friday, So Long and GOodnight. 


	11. =~•Chapter 11•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie finds out someone has been spying on him. Something comes up that could possibly jeopardize their plans for the next full moon.

“So, as most of you are probably aware, this time of year is _special_ for the english department. We’re beginning our Shakespear unit, and as past students might’ve told you, we always start the unit with a field trip” Mr Brock addressed the class from where he stood at the front of the class.

Eddie shot a glance over at Richie who shared the same look of wonder and confusion.

“On the 26th our class will be venturing to the small island off the coast of Maine which is only accessible during certain times, due to high tide. But this is no normal island. This island is the place of William Shakespear’s summer cottage, the place where he developed most of his best stories.” Mr Brock reached towards his desk and lifted up a stack of papers.

_(Guys this stuff about William’s summer house is complete bullshit and solely for story purposes)_

The teacher walked to the row closest to him and instructed the student that sat before him to take one and pass it back.

The paper hadn't even reached Eddie yet, he was already looking at Richie for guidance, a look, _anything_. Once the pile fell onto his desk he quickly grabbed one and passed the rest back. He scanned the page, he read it over quickly, confirming what he was afraid of.

The field trip is on the day of the full moon.

~

“What the hell are we gonna do?!” Eddie’s voice grew louder, as did his worries.

“We gotta go on this trip! Brock literally fucking said we are either sick or there, because that damn final project revolves around that trip” Richie realized with a sigh. He ran a hand through his hair and tugged on the ends.

The wolf’s ears perked up a little bit, “Wait- the trip is during the day, so shouldn’t we be fine? As long as we get home in time for the moon to rise, we’ll be okay!” He realized as his voice filled with hope.

Where Eddie sat on Richie’s bed, elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, he sighed. “I guess you’re right… It’s just, _fuck_ , that thing last night, now _this_ ” Eddie stressed.

That caught Richie’s attention. “What thing last night?” He questioned, taking a seat beside Eddie.

_Oh yeah, I never even told Richie_

Eddie kept his eyes shut as he spoke, his voice tinted with fear, “I think someone followed me home last night”.

Richie tensed at the news, “What the fuck? Are you okay? What happened?”,

Eddie turned his head to look at Richie as he still leaned on his knees. “I-I don’t know. But the entire time I walked home I knew I wasn't alone. I don’t know who it was, or why they followed me- but I’m worried. Rich… What if it’s the council? What if they found me? I-I can’t go back” Eddie sat up as he began to think about what would happen if the council _did_ find him, “ _I can’t go back_ ” he whispered.

Richie put a hand on Eddie’s shoulder, a small gesture that created big emotions in both of them. “And you won’t. I won’t let it happen, Eddie. I won’t let them take you” He assured the rabbit.

~

“And this is a mandatory trip?” Wentworth repeated as Eddie and Richie both nodded their heads.

The boys had confronted Maggie and Went in the kitchen. Richie and Eddie stood side by side leaning against the counter behind them, while Maggie and Went stood on the opposite side of the kitchen.

“Yes sir! He said unless we're pukeing up a fucking lung then we should be there” Richie explained.

West's lips tightened into a thin line “Son, language” he advised.

“Hm yeah” Richie grunted, “Okay but I mean technically since it's during the day we should be fine. As long as we're home before the moon rises-”

“Which we will. It says we'll be home by 4” Eddie pips up, he pointed to the schedule on the form.

“Exactly, so we'll have more than Enough time before the moon rises” Richie explained.

Went and Maggie shared a glance, “But honey what if something happens? The full moons are the day you're most prone to outbursts” Maggie pointed out, her voice laced with worry.

“ Yes but don’t forget, I'll also be there, I can help him.” Eddie assured them.

“We'll protect each other,” Richie proclaimed, his hand brushed against Eddie's.

Went shook his head, “What about the high tide? If something happens-”

“We will be the first ones on the bus” Richie stated.

“And stay together, okay? We’re stronger in numbers” Maggie advised them as she placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

“And if anything happens, you'll call us?” Went said. The boys nodded their heads in unison.

The beep of the oven timer breaks the tension in the room. Maggie smiles, “So who wants lasagna?”.

~

Friday after school Richie drove Eddie home. The bunny had gotten fairly used to riding in the car. Even though his heart was no longer beating out of his chest, his hand still always found Richie's during their time in the car. Neither of them mentioned it, they simply enjoyed the touch.

“So, I wanna show you something.” Eddie said as he led Richie into his house.

“Yeah? What's up Eds?” Richie cocked an eyebrow at the change of Eddie's tone, he sounded a bit serious and worried.

“I-I found something. The other night when I thought someone followed me, I began going through my dad's old books. And the protection spell has a lot more functions then I thought. Can I show you something?” Eddie took a seat on the couch in the family room.

Richie followed suit and got comfy. He nodded, watching as Eddie twisted his wrist in a practiced motion, calling a book to his hand. These are the little things that still blew Richie's mind, the powers that Eddie wielded. He once asked Eddie to teach him, which the rabbit tried, but he explained how it's harder to do when it's taught later in life, especially to werewolves.

He flipped through the pages and found the one he had bookmarked. “So I found out that the forcefield is always recording, just like your- uh, whatcha call the...” Eddie closed his eyes, trying to think of the word.

“Security cameras?” Richie tried.

Eddie snapped his finger, “Yep, security camera. And I wanna show you what it picked up” he explained, he held his hands out.

Richie placed his hands in Eddie's, he closed his eyes when Eddie did. Though his eyes were closed, he could hear the words Eddie mumbled under his breath, presumably a spell.

What Richie didn't see was when Eddie's eyes burst open, their normal brown gone, replaced by their natural ice blue. He was looking but he wasn't seeing.

 _At first there was the image of the house, it stood in the middle of the field in all its glory._ Eddie mumbled something under his breath and the boys watched as the sun moved around the house as if it was a time lapse video. _The sun was past midday, a couple hours before it would begin to set._ Eddie said something else, _then the image changed. Instead of looking in, they were now looking at the footage of outside the force field. Facing the direction that led them back into Derry. They zoomed in on Eddie as he exited the forest towards the house. Watching as he walked through the field. When he passed their gaze they realized that was when he passed through the forcefield. For a little while the two were simply watching nature at its finest. The wind blowing through the trees, the sun casting shadows onto the grassy meadow. Something caught their eye in the forest. A figure stepped out from behind one of the various towering evergreens. It surveyed the land before proceeding._ Eddie whispered a command and the footage zoomed in. _The figure stood still for a while. It zoomed in further and stopped once they had a clear image of their suspect._ Both the boys almost immediately recognized the culprit. _Eddie let the footage continue as they watched the human’s face drop in shock before he tripped, then ran out and back into the forest._

Eddie released the spell with a gasp. His eyes wide as they reverted back to their normal state of brown. He inhaled heavily as he tried to catch his breath.

It took Richie a minute or so before he broke out of the spell induced trance. His eyes snapped open as he gasped for air. “What the-” He heaved, “Was that _Bill_?”.

“Yep…” Eddie confirmed, his voice dull as it lacked emotion. The footage still replayed in his head of Bill’s face filling with shock.

“He saw you go fucking invisible” Richie realized as he raked his hand through his hair.

“Yep…” Eddie repeated, eyes blank as he listed all the possible thoughts that Bill could’ve had when he saw Eddie just fucking _disapear_ through the forceifeld.

“But why the hell was he following you? It makes no fucking sense unless… Fuck, didn’t Bill mention a _white_ rabbit the other day at lunch?” Richie asked.

The question brought Eddie back to reality. “He did! What if he saw me that night when-” Eddie cut himself off before he could finish his sentence. _The night I shifted and spied on you as you sang your heart out to a song about_ _me_.

Richie leaned forward, his attention grabbed, his eyes filled with suspicion, “ _What_ night?” he asked.

The rabbit shook his head, “No, no it’s nothing” Eddie tried to brush it off.

“Eddie, What. Fucking. Night?” Richie pronounced each word individually as his tone grew stern. He didn’t mean to scold Eddie like this, but now he was filled with worry as their secret could possibly be in danger.

Eddie looked to the side, not meeting Richie’s gaze, “I followed you home one night…” He mumbled quietly.

“You _what_?” Richie asked, he clearly heard Eddie with his enhanced hearing, but he wanted to hear him admit it.

Eddie’s head snapped to face Richie’s, something inside of him suddenly burning, “The night after I had my fucking anxiety attack at school? Yeah, I followed you home. And I watched you and Bill talk about God knows what-”.

“Eddie what the fu-Why would you do that?” Richie barked, he stood up from his place on the couch. “Are you jealous or some shit?” He demanded.

“ _What_? No! Why would _I_ be jealous? I just needed to see you, okay? I felt bad about storming off after you helped me at school” Eddie confessed, the sentiment there but his tone still harsh.

“Yeah since you just fucking left me in the bathroom after I literally saved your ass” Richie scoffed.

Eddie rolled his eyes, “And I said I was _sorry_. Okay? Now can we _please_ just focus on this whole Bill thing? Our secret could seriously be in jeopardy” His voice went cold. Eddie has never had to worry about his secret getting out because in The All Lands everyone shared the same secret so there was nothing to _let out_.

“Fuck I forgot… We can’t just _ask_ him” Richie was stressing, his eyes nervously darted around the room. “Wait! What if we ask Stan to help? He’s closest to Bill and he already knows about us. Plus he’s always down to spend more time with Bill, especially since he-“ Richie stopped mid sentence, eyes wide as he realized the secret he was about to spill.

Eddie’s brow furrowed with confusion, “Since he _what_?”.

“What?” Richie asked, playing dumb.

“ _What?_ ” Eddie repeated. He shook his head in frustration, “Something about Bill and Stan?” he clarified.

Richie didn’t think before he spoke, “Oh Stan crushing on Bill?” Richie immediately slapped his hand over his mouth. “Fuck” He whispered with wide eyes.

“Wait. What, really?” A ghost smile played over Eddie’s lips. “Stan? and Bill? Oh I could so see them together” He gossiped.

“Right? Wait _shit_ , I didn’t mean to tell you. Stan barely even knows” Richie joked, the tension slowly evaporated between them.

“Well whether he knows or not, do you think Stan could help us?” Eddie inquired.

Richie crossed his arms over his chest and held one hand up to stroke his imaginary beard, “Yes… I think this might just work”. 

Word Count: 2070

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot belive we just finished chapter 11! Guys it's about to get really good from here, I mean it was good to begin with, but now the plot thickins! Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed and I will see you all next week, so until then,
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


	12. =~•Chapter 12•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some investigating, Stanley finds Bill has been doing some shocking research of his own. Eddie struggles to pack for a sleepover and requests Richie's aid.

“Hey Bill” Stan greeted with a smile when Bill opened the door.

“Hey Stan” Bill returned the smile as he stepped aside to allow Stan to come inside.

Stan and Bill had made plans to get together after school that Friday to work on their project for religion class. An hour before Stan left for Bill’s house, he received a very odd call from a frantic Richie and Eddie. He requested that Stan do some digging and see if Bill knew about their secret. Stan, of course, needed context, which he received after threatening to not help at all.

Yes he agreed to look around, as he was already going to Bill’s house. Though he didn’t tell them that he didn’t believe them. Yes they’re supernatural creatures and he should be used to believing random shit by now. But Bill was a good guy, he’s known him for as long as he can remember, so he cannot imagine him betraying his friends like that.

Bill led Stan into the kitchen where they usually set up to work. As Stan began to unload his bag he heard the rumbling of feet running down the stairs. The two turned towards the stairs that led to the second floor just in time to see Bill’s younger brother, George, charge towards them.

“Stanley!” He exclaimed, jumping to hug Stan.

Stan was taken aback by the sudden force as the kid hugged him. But he soon straightened up and returned the gesture.

“Hey Georgie, how’re you doing?” Stan smiled down at the kid.

“Good!” He beamed up at Stan before turning to face his older brother, “Billy can I have some choky milk please?” He asked with a tilt of his head, he looked like a sad puppy.

Bill took a moment to think as if he hadn't already made up his mind. “I guess that’d be al-alright” he said as if it was a special occasion.

Georgie pumped a fist into the air and cheered. Then he ran to the kitchen to retrieve his favourite cup from the cupboard.

Bill happily shook his head as he opened the fridge and took out the big jug of chocolate milk.

Stan’s brow furrowed as he watched Bill take a second jug out of the fridge. “Why two?” he asked.

The older brother began to pour his brother a cup, he handed it to the kid before he turned back to Stan. “W-Watch” Bill instructed as he took the cap off the second jug. Bill ducked down to grab something from one of the lower cupboards and screwed it onto the jug. Once it was secure he grabbed the handle and tilted the jug upwards and began to drink straight from the bottle. That’s when Stan noticed that Bill had replaced the normal cap with the iconic orange gatorade cap.

Stan’s jaw dropped in fake shock, “Holy shit” He laughed. Bill lowered the jug, the usual milk mustache he would’ve received if it was the normal cap was nowhere to be seen. He did a little bow as if he had just presented his secret talent. Though the gesture was small and in no way intimate, Stan’s heart still found a way to beat a little faster in his chest. He might've denied it when he was with Richie but Stan knew deep down that he had feelings for Bill. The two teens had known each other for a really long time, and they always shared a connection, like they always knew what the other was thinking.

Bill gestured the other, normal, jug to Stan, “W-Want some?”, just like that, he read Stan’s mind.

~

Stan and Bill had about half of their project. Their religion teacher had told them to research a separate religion and make a poster board display that showed all of their findings. So of course, as Stan is Jewish, they decided to do Judaism. They had everything drawn and written up, now all that was left to do was glue it onto their poster board. But Stan couldn’t find his glue.

“Big Bill, do you have any glue? I think I forgot mine” Stan asks.

Bill looked up from the title he was writing in long flowy cursive letters. “Yep I sh-should have some in the spare room on the desk” Stan nodded and stood up then made his way up the stairs to where the spare room resides.

Stan slowed his pace once he reached the top of the stairs, _Hm, when was the last time I went into Bill’s room? Not since his dad passed…._ Ever since Zack Denbrough’s passing, the Losers have usually agreed it’d be best to get Bill out of his house and try to get his mind off of the things worrying him.

First things first he went into the spare bedroom and retrieved the glue.

Afterwards the curly haired teen found himself standing before his best friend’s bedroom door, suddenly worried about what state of disarray his friend’s room might be in. Stan shook his head, he tried to shake off his worries but all he did was knock a couple of his golden curls into his face. He mentally cursed out his hair that he had let grow out.

Without wasting anymore time, Stan sighed and pushed the door open. He was happily surprised to see that Bill’s room was fairly tiddy, with his window open it created a nice breeze that blew in. His bed was made and the floor was clean. The only thing that was a little messy was Bill’s desk, covered in random papers and books. He looked up at the wall behind the desk, his jaw dropped at the display that had set up.

“Shit…” Stan gasped, _Richie was right_.

He could barely believe his eyes, surprised that he didn’t notice it sooner. The wall looked like a background from a detective movie, pictures and newspaper clippings taped to the wall and laced together with various pieces of yarn. Quickly he snatched his phone out of his pocket and began snapping pictures.

There was a picture of a white rabbit in the middle of an empty field, newspaper clippings, some from his dad’s death, others from other cold cases. Eddie had his own corner, with a picture that Bill must’ve secretly snapped during school in the middle. Surrounding the headshot was the same picture of the rabbit and a picture of an open field, and various other notes that Stanley didn’t have time to read.

The sound of Bill’s voice made Stan freeze in place. “Find it?” Bill shouted out from the bottom of the stairs.

“Yep!” he tried to keep his voice steady as he relaxed his shoulders. Stan stole one last look at the fucking Buzzfeed unsolved board before heading back downstairs.

“W-What took you so lu-long?” Bill questioned while Stan reclaimed his chair beside him.

“Nothing, just thought I saw a spider” Stan shrugged, using his arachnophobia as an excuse. If Bill was suspicious he didn’t mention it, he simply nodded and got back to his writing.

Another 20 minutes went by and the boys had half of their project finalized and glued onto the board.

“Would you w-wanna come over to-tomorrow for a sleep-over?” Bill’s voice sounded soft, vulnerable almost.

It made Stan’s heart melt. “Yeah! That sounds like fun” he tried so hard to keep his voice from sounding _too_ excited.

“Okay, good…” Bill sent Stan a warm smile before he continued, “I’m gonna see if the rest of the g-gang wants to come.” Stan’s gut twisted, _of course it wouldn’t be just us_. “Y-You guys have done so much for me, ah-and I wanna repay you gu-guys”.

“Oh, Bill you don’t need to do that. It’s what friends are for” Stan forced a smile.

“I-I know… But still, it would be fu-fun” He smirked over at the other boy.

“With Richie coming? Yeah it’ll be chaos” Stan mused, which got a little chuckle out of Bill. Seeing that reaction made Stanley happy, _either way, as long as he’s happy, I’m happy_.

**~**

**The Losers Club**

**Bill:** Sleepover @ my place tomorrow night?

 **Beverly:** FUCK YEAH!

 **Mike:** Sounds fun!

 **Ben:** I’ll be there.

 **Richie:** Should I bring the good stuff?

 **Stan:** Richie no one is going to smoke weed with you.

 **Bev:** Speak for yourself

 **Bill:** guys no smoking in my fucking house

 **Richie:** fine…

Eddie clicked out of the conversation as he wasn't interested in listening to them argue about drugs. Instead he opened up his chat with Richie

**Trashmouth <3**

**Eddie:** Are you going to the speelover?

 **Richie:** yepperoni  
 **Richie:** you?

 **Eddie:** Not sure, I’m kinda suspicious of Bill

 **Richie:** i know… but if everyone else is there then we should be safe

 **Eddie:** Yeah you’re right

 **Richie:** i know

 **Eddie:** Can you come over?

 **Richie:** you good?

 **Eddie:** No.

Eddie’s phone immediately went off, vibrating and emitting his annoying ringtone. He swiped to answer the call. “Richie?” He asked.

“Eddie are you okay?” The wolf’s voice sounded worried.

“What? Yeah I’m fine I just-”.

“Cause you said you weren’t okay-”

“No, _no_ , not like that. I’ve never been to a sleepover before and I have no clue what to pack” Eddie explained, he glanced over at his backpack and wondered what he’d bring.

“OH thank god, don’t scare me like that. I thought you were in trouble” Richie let out a heavy sigh. “Wait what do you mean you’ve never been to a sleepover before?” Eddie could practically see the confused look on his face. “Did you not have sleepovers in The All Lands?”.

“No asshat we had sleepovers, I just wasn't allowed…” Eddie’s voice drifted off, recalling a time when his mother used to control every aspect of his life. He shook it off before it could get to him, “So can you come over or not? If you get ready beforehand we can go together” he suggested.

“Yeah sounds good. And hey, don’t worry about Bill okay? This’ll be fun!” Richie cheered, “See you tomorrow Spaghetti”.

“Richie that’s not my name” Eddie drew out the A. He let out a small sigh, “Bye Trashmouth” then he hung up.

~

Richie hummed while he inspected Eddie’s room, hands on his hips, “You’ll also need toiletries, like toothbrush and stuff.” Richie said as Eddie popped his head up from under his bed where he was retrieving his pajamas.

“Yep I got them already. Hey Rich?”

“Yeah Eds?”

“Grab me my fanny pack over on bay window”

“A fanny pack? Dude no one uses those anymore” Richie tried to stifle his laugh as he retrieved the pack from the bay window.

“Well I use it, so shut it” Eddie said, but his voice held no anger.

Richie held his hands up in defence “alright alright” he chuckled as he tossed it into the backpack Eddie was preparing for the sleepover. Eddie stood up and dusted off his pants. “Okay I think you should be good” Richie went over the mental checklist he had created.

“Okay… And you’re _sure_ this is a good idea?” Eddie raised his eyebrows questioningly.

“Yes, for the hundredth time, we’re gonna be okay” Richie walked over to put a comforting hand on Eddie’s shoulder.

Eddie sighed and leaned into Richie’s touch. “Alright, _fine_ ”.

“C’mon, it’ll be a blast,” Richie said with a smile. 

**Word Count: 1864**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS, WE'RE HALFWAY THERE!  
> I started posting this story way after I began writing it so I've always been about 10 chapters ahead of the updates LOL. And I'm pretty sure I have about 2 chapters left to write, so we're halfway there! Ah I'm kinda sad cause this story is my literal pride and joy but IT'S SO FRICKEN GOOOOD!   
> Okay enough about the future, let's focus on the present. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are excited to see what happens next because trust me, shit is about to go down next chapter (; But also like, comment, share this chapter as it shows how much you care and it inspires me to keep writing!
> 
> And don't forget to check me out on Instagram @Stellar.Cosplays and Tumblr @stellar-alley if you want to see more of my real life and some behind the scenes content!
> 
> That's all for me, until next time
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


	13. =~•Chapter 13•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Losers have a sleepover! That’s all- seriously. Eddie doesn’t get jealous over Richie and Stan’s relationship nor does he walk in on something, that’d never happen LOL, unless...?

Stan and Mike were the first to arrive at Bill’s that afternoon. They helped him set up and get the living room ready for the sleepover.

“Yeah my mom took Guh-Georgie with her to go visit my dad’s sister in Bangor.” Bill explained as he grabbed his chocolate milk from the fridge.

Mike peaked over Bill’s shoulder into the fridge, “Aw that’s nice. Hey Big Bill why do you have so much chocolate milk?” He tilted his head.

Stan snorted from where he was leaning against the counter, “He’ll show you” he nodded to Bill who began chugging the milk with his gatorade cape.

Mike released an over dramatic gasp, “no way” he held a hand over his mouth.

Bill lowered the jug, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, “Yes way!” Bill exclaimed.

Before the trio could say anything else they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. “I-I’ll get that” Bill stuttered as he put his jug down to go get the door. He opened the door wide to reveal Ben and Beverly.

“Hey!” They both greeted in unison at the sight of their friend opening the door.

Bill smiled and stepped aside, “Come on in” He motioned for them to enter.

The two set their stuff up in the family room as Bill went and grabbed his bin of DVDs and VHS from the basement for later when they wanted to watch a movie.

Richie pulled into the driveway of the Denbrough residence and killed the engine. He glanced down at his hand which tightly held Eddie’s. The wolf lifted the rabbits hand up and kissed his knuckles. “Try and have some fun tonight, okay?” He winked at the blushing bunny.

“I’ll try.” Eddie agreed.

The two got out and retrieved their bags from the back of the jeep, walking side by side up the main pathway and onto the front step. Richie reached out and rang the doorbell, he sent a smile at Eddie who mirrored his grin.

The door swung open to reveal Stanley Uris who leaned up against the doorframe with a small smile at the sight of friends, “Richard, Edward, glad you two could make it”.

“Staniel the Maniel, a pleasure as always” Richie smiled as he wrapped the golden haired human up in a tight hug.

Richie let out a little breath at the sudden physical attention but eventually returned the hug. “Good to see you too Trashmouth” He smiled as Rihcie let him go. Eddie smiled at him, “Same to you Eddie” he smiled, the two mentally agreeing to not engage in a hug.

Everyone said their hellos and eventually gravitated towards the family room where they all found their respected spots. Richie sat sprawled out on the recliner with Eddie sat on the floor in front of him. Mike and Bill shared the love seat while Stan sat on the arm rest and leaned up against the back, while Ben and Bev shared the other love seat.

“Okay what do you guys wanna watch first?” Mike asked the group as they all glanced around at each other, as if Mike had just opened Pandora’s box because all hell just broke loose.

Beverly wanted to watch the new movie with J Lo, Hustlers, which Stan said no to. Bill wanted to watch Back to the Future which everyone automatically disagreed with as that would’ve been their 10th time watching it together. Stan wanted to watch the new National Geographic documentary on birds, which everyone but Eddie said no to. Richie started shouting about watching his all time favourite movie The Hangover, which Stan refused to watch again, he claimed it was “Crude and Stupid” (Richie took great offense to that).

“Guys what about Toy Story?” Ben piped up. Even though everyone was having a shouting contest they all quickly quieted down and looked over at him.

Bev hummed happily, “I haven’t seen that movie in ages!”.

“Isn’t that like a kids movie?” Stan countered.

Mike nudged him, “But it _is_ a classic” he wiggled his eyebrows.

“I-I’m always down to watch To-Toy Story” Bill agreed from beside Stan who sighed. “ _Fine_ ” he slightly rolled his eyes, though he wasn’t that mad as he does generally enjoy that movie.

Eddie titled his head backwards to look up at Richie. “Rich, what’s Toy Story about?” he asked quietly in fear of the others hearing.

Richie nodded in understanding as he knew that in The All Lands they didn’t watch movies and stuff. He leaned down with an amused smile and replied, “It’s about toys that are alive, it’s cute, like _you_ , you’ll like it”. Richie leaned back up, but left his hand down on Eddie’s head as he ruffled his soft brown hair that wasn't hidden under his beanie.

Stan and Bill got up to set up the movie. Stan switched the lights off which caused Eddie to thank some various deities as it hid his red flushed cheeks. Bill popped the movie into the DVD player before reclaiming his spot on the couch. He proceeded to flick through the options on the DVD.

Eddie leaned into his touch. Richie reciprocated by sliding his hand into the bunny’s beanie and playing with his hair, he twirled it between his fingers and smoothed down the other’s floppy ears. Eddie was practically melting into the floor. His thoughts were whipped, the only thing he thought about was how Richie’s hand felt in his hair and how if he listened close enough, he could hear Richie’s heart beating just as fast as his.

~

Everyone actually really enjoyed the movie, Eddie included. Once the credits began to roll Beverly suggested that they watch the second one as it is superior and also has some really good characters.

“Well I don’t know about you guys but I need to go use the bathroom” Mike said as he rose from his seat.

Richie tilted his head up before he spoke, “You mean the urination stat-”

Stan cut in, “Don’t you _dare_ ” He shot a glare at Richie who in return looked at him with a shit eating grin.

Mike stopped and leaned against the wall beside him, “No, no, let him speak. I wanna hear it” He nodded towards Richie which made Stan loudly sigh.

“What I was going to say before I was rudely interrupted was that the proper name for it is the _urination station_.” Richie broke out into a vague british accent towards the end.

“He’s not wrong” Ben giggled, recalling their past conversation.

Stan pinched the bridge of his nose as if it hurt to listen to Richie talk about this. “God, call it anything else, _literally._ ” Yes, Stan might’ve been conveying that Richie annoyed the shit out of him and that he’d literally strangle the Trashmouth if he had the chance, but this was the way it always was. That’s just Richie and Stan’s friendship.

Richie chuckled, “Hey at least it’s better than that period where I just said ‘I gotta take a leak’” He pointed out as everyone groaned in unison.

“D-Don’t remind me” Bill lightly shook his head.

“That _was_ terrible. Oh wait!” Stan had to stop to laugh a little, “Remember the week before Mike’s dog got neutered and he literally humped Richie’s leg so bad it left bruises?”. Everyone laughed at the memory, Stan literally snorted as he recalled the day after when Richie came in and put his foot on the table to display his bruise littered shin.

Mike, who was still leaning against the wall, clutched his stomach as he laughed. Bill held a hand over his mouth in an attempt to stifle his laugh, but that didn’t stop him from toppling off the couch and onto the floor.

Even Eddie, though he wasn't there, still laughed at the mental image. Suddenly the bunny felt a little colder as Richie moved his hand away from his head and got up from the recliner. Eddie glanced up at the wolf who leaped onto the love seat and sprawled over Stan.

In between laughs, Richie exclaimed, “Staniel gets off a good one!”. His black inky hair flopped into his face only making the trashmouth laugh more.

Stanley smiled down at him. He raised a hand and carefully swept Richie’s hair back out of his face. “Chee you’ve gotta get this shit cut.” Stan twirled a piece of black hair with his finger.

It was so subtle, Eddie almost didn’t notice it. It was so quick and natural, he almost let it slide. _Chee? Did Stan just call him Chee? Whatever… It’s just a nickname, it's not like I’m the only one who calls him that. But I thought that was_ _my_ _nickname for him._ The bunny shook his head, _It’s not like anyone else calls me Eds, only Richie does, cause it’s his nickname for_ _me_. Eddie pushed the thoughts down and focused on something else in the room.

Everything else probably would’ve gone smoothly if Eddie didn’t catch Richie leaning up, off of Stan only to whisper something into his ear. Stan replied but Eddie couldn’t make it out, but whatever it was made him feel like he was moments away from throwing up his lunch.

Since everyone was still recovering from their little laugh attack, Eddie used it to his advantage, “Wow, that was a good one” He laughed nervously, standing up from where he sat on the floor, “I gotta go to the bathroom before I piss my pants.” He tried _so_ hard to sound amused before quickly rushing out of the family room and towards the nearest bathroom.

He shut and locked the door then yanked his beanie off in an attempt to stop the incoming headache before it had _too_ much time to form. His head and ears were hot from so much blushing and the whirlwind of emotions he was currently experiencing.

Eddie shoved the beanie into his back pocket before he moved to stand before the sink where he turned the water on cold. He leaned down and cupped his hands together under the running water and splashed it onto his face. He could practically hear the sizzling sound as the cold water touched his burning face.

_What the fuck is wrong with me? Is it jealousy? Am I jealous of Stan? Why? Just cause he and Richie have been friends for years and have all these nicknames and inside jokes? Fuck, just get over it. It’s not like Richie can’t have other friends, he’s not_ _yours_ _. He’s Richie, and Richie is friends with everyone,_ _just_ _friends…_

~

“Are you sure about this Staniel?” Richie whispered up to Stan as they got up to the second floor of the Denbrough residence.

Stan turned and gave him a look, “Uh-Yeah Rich, I’m pretty sure I know a murder conspiracy board when I see one.” He shot back.

After Eddie left to go use the bathroom, (Which Richie kinda found odd, something was off. He made a mental note to go check on Eddie later), the two used the opportunity to tell the others they also needed to go to the urination station, which allowed them to go upstairs without suspension.

“Okay well let’s make this quick. Don’t need Billiam having any other reasons to be spying on us.” Richie grumbled as he recalled how Bill followed Eddie home, and how worried Eddie was about this whole situation. That’s why Richie decided to go with Stan, _alone_. He wanted to check it out for himself before they showed Eddie. He didn’t want to give him another thing to stress him out more than he already was.

Stanley led the werewolf towards Bill’s room. He nudged the door open and slid through the crack. Once they were inside Stanley moved to stand in front of the desk. His heart still skipped a beat when he laid his eyes upon the display in front of them.

“Fuck” Richie gasped.

Stan watched his eyes dart from picture to picture. The big brown eyes behind the glasses followed the strings of yarn to various places on the board, as everything was somehow connected.

For a minute the golden haired boy stood beside the one with black curls as they both examined the board. Stan crossed his arms over his chest then raised one hand to stroke his chin. “He thinks Eddie is related to his father’s death, or the cause of it.” Stan theorised.

“And?” Richie asked, his voice became serious with the severity of the situation.

Stan turned to Richie, his lips in a thin line, “And?” He repeated with a tinge of attitude, “Is this true? Is Eddie connected to this?”.

Richie shook his head, unable to take in so much at once, “I-I don’t know.”

Stan took a step forward, he pointed at the picture of the white rabbit labeled ‘Last Thing On Dad’s Phone’. “Is this Eddie?” he demanded.

“I think so, Stanley I’m not sure.” Richie almost growled.

“Well he must be connected somehow or else Bill wouldn’t be so obsessed with this.” Stan leaned in closer to examine some of the notes.

Richie closed the distance between the two, “Don’t let Eddie catch wind of this, alright? We don’t tell him until we have solid proof, alright?”.

Stan was about to respond when a third voice called out to them, “Proof of what?”

The two turned around to see Eddie standing in the open doorway.

**Word Count: 2230**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all aren't even ready for next chapter- wow I cannot wait to get it out cause that's when Eddie- Wait, did you serioously think I'd spoil my own fan fic? Aha well, you're wrong. You're just gonna have to wait and see what happens next!
> 
> On that note, I will see you all next friday with chapter 14
> 
> And don’t forget to check me out on Instagram @Stellar.Cosplays and Tumblr @stellar-alley if you want to see more of my real life and some behind the scenes content!
> 
> Until then
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


	14. =~•Chapter 14•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie hibernates under the covers in his bed while Richie finds himself in a pretty hairy situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And don’t forget to check me out on Instagram @Stellar.Cosplays and Tumblr @stellar-alley if you want to see more of my real life and some behind the scenes content!

His face was pale, as if he had just seen a ghost. “Richie?” His voice shook, on the verge of tears. As if Eddie wasn’t emotional before, now he felt like he could cry at the fall of a pin.

Yes, Eddie was fine with Richie being close with the others, but he couldn’t watch Richie be close like _that_ , like how close they were. Deep down Eddie knew that they were more than just close friends, maybe he was finally realizing that.

Richie reached out, “It’s not what it looks like, Eds-“.

“No, do not fucking call me that.” Eddie shook his head as the tears began to well in his eyes. Before anyone could get another word in, Eddie bolted. He ran down the stairs and made a sharp turn towards the back door. He didn’t want to _leave_ , he just needed to be in his element, in nature, he needed air, to _breath_.

The fresh May evening air engulfed him as he burst out the back door. Eddie didn’t stop there, he kept going until he sat on the edge of the back patio. The commotion from inside the house drowned out by the Ancestor’s heavy breathing.

“E-Eddie?” A voice stuttered from behind him, “Ar-Are you okay?”

Eddie turned his head to see Bill had stepped out onto the porch. His hair glowed a little in the sun’s golden hour as he stepped towards the Ancestor.

Eddie turned back towards the yard, “I’m fine” he huffed.

The Denbrough’s had a nice backyard, the back was fenced in while the sides were left open, but there was still enough privacy to be able to enjoy your own yard. The grass was well kept and their garden seemed to have already been planted, even with how early in season it was.

“You sure? Cause y-you don’t look it.” Bill pointed out as he took another step towards him.

Eddie didn’t say anything, not when Bill stood beside him, or when he slowly crouched down to sit beside him.

“I know you a-and Richie are close. I-I can see it when you two are to-together, y-you two have something special.” Bill said as Eddie kept his gaze on the garden in front of them.

_Yes we’re close, of course we’re close, we’re both fucking hybrids and I’m in… I-I, have a crush on him._

Something melted inside of Eddie, as if the realization opened something up deep inside of him.

“Yeah, we are… special” Eddie’s voice drifted off with the wind that blew by.

_Special…. gay._

“N-now it just leaves me wo-wo- _fuck_. Now I wonder how s-special you really are.” Bill’s tone changed, suddenly it became something much more sinister as he jumped up from where he sat with Eddie.

Everything happened within an instant. Eddie barely even had time to process what Bill had said before a sudden gust of wind swept through his hair, his _ears_.

Edddie leaped off of the porch, eyes wide as he raked his hands through his hair and felt that he definitely wasn’t wearing his hat. His eyes darted to where his dad’s black beanie was held tightly in Bill’s grasp.

Now Eddie’s heart was racing but for a completely different reason. “Bill, I swear t-this isn’t what it looks like.” He held his hands up in defense as he took a step backwards.

“Y-Yeah? The-Then what _is_ it like, E-Eds?”, the name sounded so _wrong_ coming from his mouth, _cause it wasn’t Richie_. “What are y-you. A-And what the _fuck_ do you have to do with my father’s de-“

The back door swung open and slammed against the outside wall, “ _BILL_!” Richie’s voice shot out like a bullet. The werewolf had to try _so_ hard to hold his eye colour, so far he was doing okay. But his claws had already grown out and were currently drawing blood from the palms of his hands as he clenched his fists.

“Eddie-“ Richie turned towards the other Ancestor but the rabbit was already gone. He used the sudden entrance as a distraction to flee, _damn rabbit_. He then noticed Eddie’s beanie. In Bill’s hand, he knew it well enough to identify it, he had studied it tens of times as he admired Eddie but now the sight of the hand me down filled the wolf with rage.

“What are you doing with that? Huh? Bill what the fuck did you do?” Richie growled, he took a step towards Bill when someone grabbed his arm. Richie jerked backwards to stare at Stan who stood behind him.

He’d followed behind Richie when the wolf sensed something was off, he made sure to tell the others some elaborate lie about Eddie having an asthma attack. So that way there wouldn’t be even _more_ people on their case than there already was.

Stan had a specific stare he used when he needed to control, _tame_ , Richie. It was similar to his normal stare, but this one was ice cold, stern, almost powerful. He used it in moments like this when he needed to grab ahold of the human side of Richie and make sure he wouldn't wolf out on him.

“You go get Eddie, and _I_ will deal with Bill, alright?” Richie slowly nodded. “Do not fuck things up” Stan growled back as he let go of his arm.

Richie stomped down off of the patio. He took a step towards Bill and snatched Eddie’s hat out of his hands. Richie stormed off of the property. He caught Eddie’s scent quickly after he began searching for it. He knew it well enough considering the amount of time the two spent together. The wolf followed the trail for a block or so until it led him into the forest behind the residential area.

After the houses were fully behind him he unclenched his fists. Pain leaked from his palms as blood dripped from new wounds. He’s never felt this way with someone before. Whenever Richie looks up at Eddie to find that the bunny is already staring back at him, or whenever their hands accidentally brush up against each other, those are the times when he knew that there was something there, something _more_. Richie just didn’t want to admit it to himself because he knew Eddie didn’t feel the same way.

Richie stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of a breathless Eddie who stood leaning against one of the various trees in the forest. “ _Eddie_ ” Richie’s lips curved ever so slightly into a small smile. Even with everything that’d happened prior, he was still happy to see Eddie was safe.

The bunny’s ears perked up at the sound of his own name. Eddie slowly turned to look at Richie with his big tear filled doe eyes. Richie didn’t need heightened senses to hear Eddie’s breath hitch at the sight of the wolf. It just broke his heart even more when he _did_ use his hearing to hear the way his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Richie.

“What are you doing here Rich?” Eddie sounded exhausted and weak.

“Bill thinks you have something to do with his dad’s death,” Richie said slowly. He slid his phone out from his back pocket and clicked a few things before holding up a photo of Zack Denbrough he’d taken from Bill’s conspiracy board. “T-That’s him,” Richie stated.

The world stopped spinning when Eddie saw him. Because now he was no longer just outside of Bill’s house with Richie. No… Now he stood on the outskirts of The All Lands. Before Eddie is an unconscious man who was currently bleeding out. The Ancestor didn’t know who he was, but what he _did_ know was that this man had just been shot.

Eddie was wandering around the forests that surrounded The All Lands as Sonia requested he find the purple berries that were currently in blume, they made a very nice jam. Eddie had already filled his basket when he saw the man walking around the woods. Almost no one has ever gotten that close to The All Lands, _almost_.

The Ancestor crouched behind a cluster of rocks and observed the man as he pointed his large gun at one of the nearby deer. Yes Eddie didn’t want to get caught but he was a boy of the woods, and he wasn't about to let that doe die. He took a step forward and let a twig snap under the pressure of his foot.

Even the smallest of sound allerted the man of Eddie’s whereabouts. He pointed the gun at the rocks and shot before Eddie was able to make another move. The bullet ricocheted off of the rocks with a _pang_ and embedded itself in the shoulder of the shooter.

The rest is patchy. There was a lot of blood, _so much blood_. If he kept bleeding at that rate he wouldn’t last more than 10 minutes out here. Eddie knew he had to do something, _anything_ , because if there was one thing that Frank Kaspbrak taught his son was that you should _always_ help those who really need it.

It didn’t matter whether Eddie saved his life then or if he let him bleed out in the magically kept grass of The All Lands, because The Council found out. They heard the gunshot. When Eddie was forced to explain what had happened, how close the human got, how much magic he used on him, they knew they couldn’t let either of them keep going. So they executed the hunter right then and there, in front of Eddie.

Those cold dead eyes haunted Eddie every day after. Just the fact that he was at fault for that man’s death made Eddie wish he had never left and just went through with The Council’s plans for him.

Back in the present, Eddie stared at those same eyes, but now they were filled with life and joy as they looked back at him from the screen of Richie’s phone. Eddie took a shaky step backwards almost as if the bullet had hit _him_ in the shoulder, his knees wobble under him, they threatened to give out from beneath him.

Eddie looked up at Richie, who was currently just a blurry image as his tears had clouded over his vision, “When were you gonna tell me?”.

“I-I wanted to know for sure. I didn’t want to stress you out or-”

“No, Richie that was not your fucking call to make” Eddie spat, “I-I killed Bill’s dad, and you were gonna keep that from me?” His voice rose as everything that happened finally settled.

“Eddie it’s not your fault,” Richie reached out towards Eddie but the other stepped back.

He couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, they rolled down his cheeks like hot lava. “You don’t know shit Tozier. You don’t know what happened that day, you don’t know how to fucking control your powers, you barely even know _me_.” Eddie shook his head as he took another step backwards.

“Eddie please-” Richie pleaded, his own eyes threatening to tear up.

“I-I can’t do this right now Richie…” Before Richie could even respond, Eddie had turned on his heels and disappeared into the forest, leaving the wolf all alone in the woods. 

By some miracle Eddie found his way home that night. From there he stumbeled up the main stairs and into his house. He fell into bed, fully clothed, without any seoncd thoughts. Though he was exhasted, it took him hours to fall sleep. The memory of Bill’s dad dying replayed in Eddie’s mind as if he was watching netflix and had the movie on an infinite loop. When he did finally fall sleep it was well into the early hours of the morning. Eddie slept well into sunday afternoon and even when he had fully woken up he didn’t get out of bed, worried that if he got out from under the comforting covers of his bed that everything that’d happened would be real. He didn’t want to face reality, he didn’t want to have to face Bill and his acusations, or see Richie and all of his worries. The wolf was probably disguted that he ever got close to someone with a past like his.

Eddie groaned as he rolled over from one pillow to another pillow on his queen sized bed. The new pillow felt comfy and soft under his head, it was dry after all since his other one was pretty tear soaked at this point.

He yanked the sheets from where they had been laid over his head and pulled them down. He inhaled deeply, the fresh air did wonders for his lungs. Eddie let out a heavy sigh, “ _Fuck my life_ ”.

~

A knock echoed out through his room, which only made his heart beat faster and his nerves worse.

“Honey, sweety is everything alright?” Maggie called out to her son from behind his locked bedroom door.

Derry’s resident werewolf, stared at himself in the mirror and exmaned the new look he was currantly rocking. He was at home so his ears and tail were out, which wasen’t helping his case at all.

Right after Eddie left, Richie stormed back to the Denbrough residence and went off on Bill for doing this to Eddie. He stopped when Stan pulled (read dragged) him into the hallway where he pratically slapped Richie as he tried to bring him back to reality.

“Richie your _eyes_ ” Stan hissed, pulling his phone out from his sweater pocket and showing Richie his yellow eyes in the selfie cam.

“Fuck, _shit_ ” Richie cursed as he pulled at his eye lids to get a better look.

Long story short after that Richie hid out in the bathroom for half an hour and when his eyes didn’t change back he bailed and called his parents to come pick him up.

Stan covered for him and dug himself into a deeper hole of lies, saying random shit like he was gonna go after Eddie and make sure he was alright. Honestly Stan wasen’t sure if the other bought it, but if they didn’t then they didn’t say anything about it.

The werewolf was bombareded by questions by his parents about him wolfing out and what the fuck happened to Eddie. Richie answered some of them, but locked himself in his room as soon as he got home, too emotionally tierd after everything and slept like a log.

Sunday morning when he woke up his eyes were still as yellow as ever, his mouth was full of fangs and his hands were all claws out. That’s not even the worst part, not only did he have the normal eyes and fangs, but now his hair was signicantly wilder than normal, his sideburns had grown significantly making him look like some 80’s porn star. _Oh_ , also, the rest of his body hair (Legs & Arms) was darker and _so_ much thicker. He was like in a half shift mode.

“What the fuck” richie gasped, anxiously raked his hands through his hair as his eyes grew as wide as the full moon he feared so much more now.

_I’m so fucked. I’m not gonna be able to change back. I’m gonna be stuck in this. Half dog stage forever and ever-_

Another knock echoed through the teen’s room, “Richie what’s going on in there I hear you spiraling?” A new voice called out, male, Wentworth’s, “Son you know we’re just here to help”.

“Please honey just open up” Maggie begged.

Richie sighed from the place he stood infront of his mirror. Of course he was spiraling, he looked like the fucking werewolf from that cheesy 80’s movie about the wolf that played basket ball.

“Richie come on-“ Wentworth started then was eventually cut off when the bedroom door to his sons room swung open, revealing his son… his very _hair_ son. “Oh… Kid” Went huffed.

“D-Don’t fucking _kid_ , me. Guys what the fuck is going on?” Richie questioned.

~

“I don’t know what we’re going to do Went” Maggie sighed as she ran a hand through her long brown hair, tugging at the ends.

Went reached out and placed a comforting hand on his wife’s shoulder, he gave it a little squeeze. “I’ve never experienced anything like that, but I’m pretty sure he’s in some weird half wolf faze. It’s gotta be because of the upcoming full moon. That and whatever happened with Eddie last night” Went glanced away for a moment as he recalled the half an hour session he just had with his son. During that time he tried _everything_ he knew about wolf shifting and controling his inner wolf. None of it worked. “But I have no clue what to do Mags” Went admitted.

The wife turned to her husband, she moved her hand up to cup his cheek, she tilted his face so that he was turned towards her. Maggie shared a look with Wentworth. “Let’s just wait it out? Maybe he’s just stressedd over something? It can’t last forever can it?” She suggested.

No, it didn’t last forever, but it did last the rest of Sunday. Then when Richie woke up the next morning he was sad to see nothing had changed. Nothing had changed when it was time for Richie to go to school, which he obviously couldn’t do because he was half fucking werewolf. So he spent the day at home, alone. As much as Wentworth and Maggie wanted to stay home with their wolf of a son, he wasen’t in any pain, or danger. Plus they knew he could handle himself if something happened so they left for work, leaving Richie alone, for the rest of the day.

He tried texting Eddie, multiple times. Sadly though he was met with a text that wasen’t sent by Eddie.

**Eddie Spaghetti <3:**

**Richie:** Eddie how many times do you have to say I’m sorry before you answer me?

 **Eddie:** Richie, it’s me, Stan. Eddie forgot his phone last night at Bill’s, I found it before Bill had a chance to find it and hack it. So please, for the love of god, stop blowing up this phone.

Richie didn’t even bother responding, he just dropped his phone onto the carpeted floor of his room and sighed for about the thousandth time today.

“ _Fuck me, gently with a chainsaw_ “ Richie sang out before flopping onto his bed.

He tried to do various things to keep him busy, like finish his homework, but he got frustrated and snapped his pencil. Yeah, his emotions were also kinda all haywire, which affected his powers. Then he tried to read some comics, but ended up shredding them with his claws. Hell he even tried to clean his damn room but he made his jeans into ripped jeans, then gave up. Plus he can’t go outside unless he covered up like a vampire in the daylight, so he was stuck laying in an uncomfortable position in bed, alone.

~

Maggie had pulled into the driveway just as Wentworth stepped out of his car. She quickly parked in her normal spot on the driveway and went to meet her husband where he waited for her, leaning against his car door.

“How you doin’?” He wiggled his eyebrows which got an eye roll from Maggie.

She hated to break whatever moment they were having but she got straight to the point, “Hon I think we should take him to Eddie”.

Went sighed, “Really? You think so?” his shoulder sagged.

“Yes, Went, aside from you he’s the only one who might have any idea how to change him back. It’s not like we can just keep him here until the full moon, I think we both know that wouldn’t work” She sighed at the thought of her half wolf son going through cabin fever.

“I know, Mags, but things are tense between the boys right now, I don’t want to make it worse” He put his hands on her shoulders.

She shook his hands off and turned to make her way towards the front door, “Well they’re just gonna have to get over it!” she called over her shoulder.

~

“No- No fucking way am I seeing Eddie after what happened at Bill’s. He’d probably curse me out or some shit” Were the words Richie had shouted at his parents when they suggested bringing him to Eddie’s. Then Wentworth proceeded to lift his son off the ground and tossed him over his shoulder like a potato sack and carried him out to the car.

“Son just cause we’re both werewolves doesn't mean I’m not stronger than you” Went mused as he put a sulking Richie into his car.

Richie gave up on struggling as he knew that once his dad had his mind set on something, nothing would be able to stop him. So he just sat and sulked in the back of his dad’s car as they drove down the familiar road to Eddie’s. He recalled the days when he drove those same roads in his little blue jeep, with Eddie by his side, hand in hand. When things quieted down, the music stopped and their conversation came to a halt, they would simply sit in silence. It wasn’t awkward or tense, but it was good, it felt right. As if in those moments, it felt as if everything was okay.

When Wentworth pulled into the roundabout, Richie pulled the hood of his sweater over his head, yanked on the drawstrings to tighten it’s grasp and shoved his hands into his pockets, and slid a pair of terminator sunglasses over his normal glasses. He silently led the way into the forest, shoulders slouched, eyes on the forest floor beneath him. Walking that path, had become muscle memory to him. He let his feet take him where he needed to go, and he walked and walked until he finally reached the clearing before the field. The evening sun shone down into his eyes, he raised a hand to block the rays.

“S’up here” Richie pointed to the field and kept going.

Richie stopped a couple feet before the forcefield, gestured towards it to his parents. “It’s protected, _invisible,_ we won’t be able to go in until _he_ lets us” He said before he took another step back.

Maggie gave her son a nod as she got the feeling he didn’t want to do anymore talking than he needed to. She glanced over at Went who returned her nod, “Eddie? Honey it’s us” Maggie called out, her gaze flickering between the various areas in the field, unsure of where she should be looking.

Then they waited a couple minutes until a voice finally broke the silence. “What do you want?” Eddie’s voice called out from overhead, causing their heads to turn in the direction of the voice, which was up. It was as if his voice was being projected from somewhere above, from the forcefield. His voice didn’t sound mad, if anything it was more curious, _worried_.

Wentworth stepped up, “We need your help”.

“With what?” Eddie asked.

Went sighed, obviously tired and fed up of waiting. He walked towards his son and yanked his hood off as well as his sunglasses.

Richie let out something between a yelp and a gasp at the sudden forcefulness. His yellow eyes burned at the sudden exposure to the sunlight. The wolf ears on top of his head perked up and swayed with the passing wind. Richie starred up towards the spot he knew the house sat.

Went was done waiting. His son could possibly be in danger if he didn’t change back. He had tried everything and he hated the fact that he couldn’t help his own kid. He felt helpless. Went always felt guilty about passing on that wolf gene to Richie, he may have not been ashamed of being a werewolf but he sure as hell knew it wasn't easy. So if Eddie was his last chance at getting his son back, then he was sure as hell gonna take it.

“Son open up!” Went demanded with a stern tone. He hadn't realized that he still had a grip on Richie’s hood. His son shoved his dad away, shaking off his touch.

“Alright you can come in” Eddie called out to them from overhead.

Richie sighed and pushed passed his dad, he walked side by side with his mother through the Forcefield. The wolf watched with a pleased look on his face as he watched his mother’s face when she finally saw the house materialize in front of her.

Eddie stepped outside onto the porch when they arrived. He nodded to them and got straight to the point, “What happened?”. The rabbit tried to keep a neutral yet serious face but he couldn’t help the worry that creased his eyebrows.

When Richie didn’t answer, Maggie cut in, “He hasn't shifted back since Bill’s” she informed him.

The rabbit looked over the wolf, gave him a once over before tilting his head towards the door, “Come in” he advised as he led the way into his house.

Eddie led them into his house, he gave a quick tour as they walked towards the kitchen. Just pointing to the rooms as they passed. He sat them down at the main table in the kitchen then proceeded to explain his plan while he searched for ingredients in his cupboards, “I have a natural remedy that should work, I ah-” he paused for a moment to think about where he had placed the final ingredient, “-Need to go grab something upstairs” he said before he proceeded to go into his room to grab the last ingredient off the list which he had memorized from an old potion he had studied back in The All Lands.

But once he entered his room he released a breath of air he didn’t know he was holding. Eddie ran a shaky hand through his hair and let out an equally as shaky sigh.

Suddenly his bunny ears perked up before a voice broke the silence, “You okay Eds?” Richie asked quietly.

Eddie didn’t bother turning around, “No… No Rich I’m not okay” he responded.

“I am sorry, you know that right?” Richie asked, sincerity laced his voice. He let out a little huff of air through his nose, “If you had your phone with you- then you would’ve seen the zillion texts I sent you. I was worried sick” his voice didn’t sound worried, he was worried before, now he just wanted to make sure Eddie was okay. “I’m sorry I hid _it_ from you. I just wanted to protect you, I know you’ve been through so much shit already and I don’t wanna see you go through anything else” When Eddie didn’t respond Richie continued, “Eddie please talk to me” he begged weakly.

Eddie finally turned to look at Richie, if he wasn't worried before then he was for sure worried now. The poor guy was fully (half) wolfing out. Eddie looked into his eyes and could see how tired he was.

“Richie I just…” Eddie contemplated the idea for a split second, just a _split_ second, “I think there might be something else, because back in the uh” he waved his hand around as he tried to explain his point, “The All Lands” he blurted, “The half change could also be caused by extreme stress and anxiety, which I know could be something that you’re going through because of ya know… everything that happened at Bill’s” Eddie said anxiously.

Richie’s eyes grew as if he was just realizing now how much stress he’s been under. “Yeah” he rubbed the back of his neck and noticed how long his hair had gotten, “that would explain a lot” he laughed nervously. “I just…” Richie started, he paused to think over his words, took a step closer to Eddie and continued. “Eddie I _really_ care about you, that’s why I freaked out so much at Bill’s, because I Love you and I can’t-” RIchie was cut off before he even realized what he had admitted.

Eddie knew he was just going to repeat half the points he already stated so he just decided to cut to the chase. The bunny closed the distance between between them, reached up behind Richie’s neck and pulled him down to kiss him. It was soft, but quick. Eddie realized Richie wasen’t responding which caused him to go stiff. He pulled away with a quiet gasp.

“I-I’m sorry Richie I shouldn’t have done-“ Eddie stopped when Richie’s arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him in to kiss him back. Richie’s lips were soft yet raw, probably from how often he’s been anxiously biting his lips with his new fangs.

When their lips first touched it sent fireworks exploding in both of their chests, it was tender yet passionate. They moved together as if it was something they’d done tens of times before. When they broke apart they were both breathless.

“So you care too?” Richie glanced away, in hopes that Eddie wouldn’t see how red his cheeks had become.

“Yes Rich...” Eddie said quietly as he pulled Richie down and pressed his foreheads against the others’. “I love you too Chee” he whispered into Richie’s ear.

Richie let out something of a moan, which surpsied even himself before he responded, “ _Fuck_ I love when you call me that”. Their noses knocked together and Richie leaned down and kissed Eddie again.

Eddie pulled away again, Richie watched the bunny’s big doe eyes wander up and give him a once over, “See I told you it’d work” he lightly giggled.

Richie smirked nervously down at Eddie, “W-What?”.

“Look” Eddie gestured to Richie.

The wolf looked down at himself and saw his hands, his _normal_ hands, no claws, no extra hair. His hand shot up to his teeth where he felt that they were no sharper than any other human’s teeth. “Oh thank god” he sighed in relief.

Richie smiled at Eddie, “Are _we_ good?” His smile faltered a bit at Eddie’s blank expression.

Eddie happily shook his head, got up on his tippy toes and planted a quick kiss on Richie’s lips, “We’re more than good” he confirmed.

~

The two made their way down the stairs hand in hand, a gesture they both enjoyed a lot more than they had realized before.

Maggie noticed, but didn’t say anything. So did Went, but he wasn't as subtle.

He clapped his son on the back “Son! Good to see you’re back to normal” He beamed.

“So everything is… Okay here?” Maggie tiptoed around the situation. She didn’t want to ask them directly but she _had_ to ask.

Richie waved his free hand around as if he was brushing the question away, “yeah, yep, better than ever”.

Eddie rolled his eyes at the comment, but his hand never left Richie’s.

“Do you guys mind if Richie stays over… For a bit?” Eddie glanced up at Richie who stared down at him with curiosity as if he was thinking _what are you and your cute ass doing?_ Actually that’s exactly what he was thinking. “We have some stuff to sort out,” Eddie finished.

Went and Maggie shared a look, “Well, I guess that’s alright” Maggie responded first.

“Yeah just know, no glove no love” Went said and pointed at both of them, amusement filled his voice.

“Oh dear god!” Richie groaned and rolled his neck.

“OKay okay okay” Wentworth raised his hands in defense. “We’ll be on our way I guess” he said and wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders as he led her towards the main door.

Richie and Eddie walked them out and waited until they left the property to close the door and head back into the house.

Eddie watched Richie as he took a seat on the sofa and got all comfy,the way his hair (now back to its normal length), fell in his face, the way his big brown eyes scanned his face and how they light up when he smiles. For a second he questioned it, _why do I think like this, especially when he’s around_. _It’s just like Bill said, we’re special… it’s something more, it’s a crush_.

That’s probably what prompted him to ask, “So… What about, _us_?”. Eddie took a seat beside Richie.

“Us?” Richie questioned with a cocked eyebrow.

“Yeah, us” Eddie confirmed, “What we did upstairs wouldn’t really be deemed a normal things friends do” He nervously laughed.

“Oh yeah that'' Richie realized. _Shit I kinda thought that was some horny dream caused by the whole werewolf thing… I wasn't sure if he liked me back, but I guess literally kissing someone has gotta prove something._

Richie finally met Eddie’s gaze, his big doe eyes made his heart do a fucking gymnastic routine, “I guess we could try to be, _more_ ” Richie's lips curved into the smallest smile.

“Would you want to?” Eddie asked, eyes filled with anticipation.

“Yeah… I'd like that a lot Eds- I-I’d love that” Richie said sheepishly, looking at Eddie with heart eyes. “Do we wanna be official or-?” Richie asked anxiously as he didn’t want to lose the spark.

Eddie’s eyes grew for only a moment before they crinkled as he smiled, “I’m good with that if you are”.

“Wait seriously?” Richie asked with excitement, he sat up a little straighter as he leaned closer to Eddie.

“Yeah, w-why do you not want to?” Eddie’s stomach dropped for a moment. Richie must’ve noticed cause he immediately took Eddie’s hands in his and gave them a supportive squeeze.

“No- baby, I just thought you would want to go on a first date first or something” Richie supplied

Eddie’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Well, yeah. I’d like to at some point but for now, let’s just do this” Eddie declared as he leaned in and kissed his boyfriend. 

**Word Count:** **5621**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAMN THIS WAS A LONG CHAPTER! If you're wondering why, it's because chapter 14 on its own was only 1800 words and that really short so i merged chapters 14 and 15 to make a MEGA CHAPTER! So yeah I hope y'all liked it! And as I did merge two chapters the final chapter count of Everfalls will go from 22 to 21. 
> 
> But yes back to this chapter, THE ANGST, THE FLUFF! WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? You'll just have to stick around and find out! 
> 
> As you're reading this I'm currently at my Zia's (Aunts) Cottage! And I'm probably finishing up my new Spiderman Eddie Au, which you should defiently go check out! The first chapter is up on my Tumblr (stellar-alley) and Ao3 (Stellar_Alley). 
> 
> Welp that's all from me guys, don't forget to like comment and share!
> 
> Until next time, 
> 
> So Long and Goodnight!


	15. =~•Chapter 15•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie and Eddie go back to school. Stan interrogates Eddie and Bill tries to put the pieces of the mystery together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And don’t forget to check me out on Instagram @Stellar.Cosplays and Tumblr @stellar-alley if you want to see more of my real life and some behind the scenes content!

Tuesday morning came and Richie found himself passing his rooms as he contemplated his latest delema.

“What the fuck am I gonna wear!” He shouted as he pulled on his curls. He groaned when he let go.

A quiet knock brought his gaze towards his door where his mother stood, “Everything alright honey?” She asked with kind yet tired eyes, it was still early after all.

Richie hummed a quick _fine_ from where he stood in front of his closet. He spent another solide 10 minutes staring at the contents before he finally decided on an outfit for the day. In the end he picked out his favourite t-shirt, which was a big light blue hoodie that had ‘Virginity Rocks’ written in big writing, a matching light blue beanie. Accompanied by one of his nicer pairs of black jeans which he cuffed at the bottom to match the warmer weather outside, and a pair of black high top converses.

He hummed, “Nice, nice, nice” Richie snapped his fingers anxiously as he gave himself a once over in the mirror.

When he drove to school that day, Richie actually turned the radio on and allowed himself to listen to the top hits, which he normally hated, he’d rather hook his phone up via aux cord and play his own tunes. But today… something about all of the cheesy love songs actually brightened his mood. Hell, he even sang along to a couple of them.

He walked up the main path that day and smiled at the sight of his boyfriend who leaned up against the same tree he had been a week or so ago. “Hey gorgeous” Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist from the back.

Eddie squicked, spooked slightly, but then his squak turned to laughter. “Richie! Let go!” Eddie laughed as he playfully thrashed in Richie’s arms.

Instead Richie gracefully twirled him around so they stood face to face. The wolf kissed the rabbit’s forehead which got him a blush of the cheeks from the shorter boy.

“Hey…” Eddie said sheepishly as he looked up into Richie’s big brown eyes, always filled with excitement, now they were filled with something new, _love_. It warmed his heart.

“Hey shortstack” Rich carefully raised his hand up and pushed a loose piece of hair behind Eddie’s ear.

Eddie rolled his eyes, using it as a way to glance away without seeming off, “Don’t call me that” he complained, but his voice held to annoyance. Before Richie could argue, Eddie laced their fingers together and looked towards the school, “Come on, dipshit. We’re gonna be late”.

~

Bill didn’t show up that day, not during the first period, or lunch, or last. Though Eddie only shared one class with him, fourth period history, that didn’t stop his foot from tapping underneath his desk the entire day.

Home room with Alley was fairly chill, she was _normal_ , which Eddie needed every now and then. She talked about the journalist things, TV shows and fan fictions, online friends and cosplay. It put The Anector’s mind at ease just listening to her ramble on about the latest gossip.

Second Period was math, which he found out after the second day of school he shared with Stan. Even after everything that happened at Bill’s, Eddie trusted Stan. He knew that Stan and Richie had been friends for a long time before all of this started and that they had a tight bond, so he could get used to how close the two were.

Eddie took his normal seat in the third last row, second to the window. It was Stan who decided to take up the seat beside him. Neither of them said anything while Stan got settlers into his seat. Once Stan had his notebook all sorted out and his pens in place he slowly, sarcastically almost, turned towards Eddie with a blank expression.

“Am I going to need to start pulling teeth before you tell me what happened?” Stan’s voice was a mix of worry and concern, also a little amusement as he enjoyed watching Eddie’s face fill with fear at his tone.

Eddie’s face fell, “Uh- No? I just didn’t know if you wanted to know or-“.

“Well I _do_ ” Stan cut in like a teenage girl desperate for the latest tea.

“Okay okay, sheesh” Eddie was stalling, not really wanting to retell the story as he barely even liked to think about what had happened. So he just stated the facts, “Bill thinks I killed his dad” He only realized how bad that sounded once it was already out.

“ _What?_ ” Stan hissed, eyes wide with shock. When Eddie didn’t respond he simply asked, “Well, did you?”.

“Sort of” Eddie made a face. Okay that was as close to getting over practically killing someone as he was gonna get. Eddie tried to not meet Stan’s intense stare, focusing on the compass around his neck, he fiddled with the latch, clicking it open and closed like a pen.

“ _Sort of?_ ” Stan whisper yelled.

Eddie rolled his eyes with a sigh then proceeded to quickly explain what had happened in The All Lands and what happened at Bill’s.

“What happened after I left?” Eddie asked in anticipation, he worried that the rest of the Losers had suspected something was up by their outburst of weirdness that night.

“Uhhh” Stan hummed, thinking over what he was gonna say next, “I gave Bill a tongue lashing for everything he did to you. He seemed pretty rattled, like a deer in the headlights. But afterwards we went back in, watched Toy Story 2. Bill was first asleep. Then Bev and I raided his fridge. I finished his chocolate milk as revenge, and spite” Stan lightly smirked at his actions. “But yeah if the Losers ask, you had an asthma attack” The light haired boy stared as Eddie nodded in understanding.

“Oh” Stan remembered something and pulled it out of his pencil case, “Here” He handed the phone to Eddie.

Eddie moved the phone from hand to hand, a ghost smile played over his lips as he clicked it open and saw Richie’s ridiculous selfie for a wallpaper. “Thanks” Eddie sent a smile to Stan who in return gave him a slightly smaller smile and a head nod.

~

Lunch was fairly normal. Eddie had met up with Richie at his locker and they walked to the cafeteria together from there. Mike was already there, he saved their normal table for them, he waved when they entered the room.

“How are you guys doing?” He shot them his cannon ‘Mike Hanlon Best Friend of the Year’ smile.

Even though he didn’t ask directly, The Ancestors both got the vibe that he was hinting at the recent occurrences at Bill’s.

“We’re… okay” Richie shared a reassuring glance with Eddie who placed his hand over his knee under the table.

Eddie nodded, “My asthma was acting up, Richie opted to take me home. But I’m all good now”.

Suddenly a pair of arms were wrapped around Eddie, and they weren’t Richie’s, so the rabbit was thoroughly confused.

“I’m so glad you’re okay” The female voice sighed from above him.

Eddie’s shoulders sagged in relief, “Hey Bev” He tilted his head back to smile up at her.

“What the hell happened to you?” She asked as she settled in beside him.

Eddie swallowed the bite sandwich he’d been chewing, “Asthma attack” he informed her with a slow nod and took another bite of his sandwich.

“Shit Eds are you alright? She asked with concern.

Eddie nearly choked on his sandwich, no one has ever called him that, aside from Richie, and he kinda preferred it that way.

“Woah, hold up there Marsh, this is _my_ Eds” Richie playfully nudged her shoulder.

Even though Richie’s voice hinted that he was joking, Eddie had a feeling he meant it. He sneezed Richie’s knee under the table and their smiles brightened a little.

“Does anyone know where Bill is today?” Ben asked from the other side of Bev.

The Losers shared a look of worry, no one answered, no one knew.

“I’m sure he’s just sick, or maybe he’s watching Georgie because _he’s_ sick” Stan supplied a sufficient idea.

~

English class rolled around and Eddie’s mind was filled with thoughts and worries about Bill. He hadn't even noticed the way his foot had continued to tap rapidly against the tile floor, until Richie placed a hand on his knee, stopping the tap.

“You okay?” Richie had leaned over from his desk beside Eddie.

“ _Fine_ , just worried about Bill” Eddie sighed and glanced over at Richie.

After that Mr. Brock began the lesson and he explained the trip on Friday a little bit more. Richie’s palms began to sweat just at the thought of the upcoming full moon. He stole a quick glance at Eddie who was subconsciously twirling a peice of hair between his fingers. The wolf still couldn’t believe that his little bunny liked him back.

~

It was Tuesday, which meant it was Stan and Richie’s day to go feast on junk food from the corner store. Which actually worked out pretty well as Bill was Stan’s usual ride, but Bill kinda went awol, so he got a ride home anyways.

This was the one time they got to just fool around and be teens.

Richie found Stan where he stood in the chips ile as he contemplated what flavour to buy. The dark haired teen held out a bag of M&M’s and a bottle of Dr Pepper and a coke. “Yo Staniel, what if I ate mentos and drank coke afterwards? Would I throw up? Internally combust? Or shit my pants?” Richie stared off into the distance as if he was contemplating the meaning of life.

“Oh Richard…” Stan sighed, “The acids in your stomach are strong enough to-”.

“Whatever I’m testing it anyways” Richie declared.

Suddenly Stan let out a mega sneeze, it might have been sudden but he jumped into action and sneezed into his elbow.

“You good Stanita?” Richie questioned with concern.

Stan shook his head, lately the sneezes have been taking out more and more energy from him. He pulled a kleenex from his pocket and wiped his nose. “First, don’t call me that. Second, I’m fine, just a cold” He confirmed.

Richie shrugged, Stan had a history of ignoring his colds until they passed, so Richie left Stan to go find more snacks to rot his teeth.

Stan Rolled his eyes which then fell on the aisle of freezers that stood behind him. He saw the various types of milks that were kept safe in their little frozen prisons. Stan’s gaze fell upon the jugs of chocolate milk which caused his lips to form a small smile.

 _Bill_ …

~

Bill Denbrough hadn't left his place at his desk in an hour. He sat facing his board, the pictures and articles had blurred together from looking at them for so long. He spent the morning changing things, adding new pictures (one was an updated photo of Eddie that had bunny ears drawn on his head and a photo of Richie with a question mark over his face). Now, things seemed even more confusing than they had previously.

He knew Eddie had _something_ to do with his father's death. Bill just didn’t know how, _yet_. He also couldn't ignore the fact that his dad didn’t actually have any physical damage, it did _look_ like a heart attack, but Bill knew it wasn't.

Lying to his mother had become some sort of second nature to Bill, so lying about being sick to skip out on school that day wasn't a chore. Lying to anyone wasn't hard anymore…. Deep down Bill knew that it wasn't good, but he had to do what was necessary.

Bill cut a new piece of yarn and attached one end to the picture of Eddie and the other end to the picture of Richie. From there he looked at his calendar that was placed just above his desk, right before his main investigation board began. He noticed that that Friday had ‘ _School Trip_ ’ and he was reminded of the Writer’s Craft field trip he had with his class, as well as Richie and Eddie’s english class. Bill smirked and circled the date with a red sharpie.

“No better time”.

**Word Count: 2044**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2044
> 
> I know this chapter was shorter than the last one- chapter 14 was a mega chapter so it was a lot longer than normal. But nontheless I hope y'all enjoyed, shit is about to go down so get excited! We're nearing endgame terriotry so- be ready. 
> 
> And don’t forget to check me out on Instagram @ stellar.alley if you want to see more of my real life and some behind the scenes content! Also check out my a03 account for more stories @ stellar_alley. Don't forget to like,comment and share to show your support!
> 
> That's all from me guys see y'all next week with chapter 16
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


	16. =~•Chapter 16•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two ancestors are going through some pre moon jitters and Bill makes a couple rash decisions.

“Ready for tomorrow?” Richie asked Eddie first thing Thursday morning.

Eddie tilted his head, “Me? Rich, I've been doing these things for years. Are _you_ ready?” he tapped Richie’s chest with his index finger.

“Meh, not really but S O C K S” Richie shrugged.

“Socks?” Eddie repeated in confusion.

Richie chuckled, “Eso si que es, S O C K S. In spanish it basically means ‘It is what it is’” he informed the shorter boy.

“It _is_ what it _is_ ” Eddie nodded in agreement. Then he scrunched his face up, “No but seriously, we need to make sure we get home in time or else we’ll-”.

“Be fine, we’ll get home and shift in peace.” Richie assured Eddie.

Eddie couldn’t help but notice the way Richie’s foot tapped rapidly against the pavement or how his hands kept moving, but he brushed it aside. Every Ancestor gets more energy around the full moon, a little more _wild_. Eddie looked down at his own calm posture, sure he felt a little more alive, but he’s just had more time to get used to it.

~

“What’s up?” Eddie’s voice filled with urgency the moment he stepped out of class, phone pressed to his ear.

He had been in the middle of Math class when his phone began violently vibrating from where it laid in his pocket. Eddie glanced at it then shot Stanley a worried glance, he mouthed ‘Richie’ before requesting to go to the bathroom.

“Eddie, I-I fucked up. Please… I can’t hold it in any more” Richie groaned.

“Where are you? Just meet me in the bathroom where you took me, alright?” Eddie instructed as he started to make his way there. “Rich? Baby answer me” Eddie demanded.

“Here” Richie whispered weakly.

“Fuck- Where are you?”

~

Eddie burst out of the back doors, practically leaped over the stairs and kept moving the moment his feet landed. It was a particularly cool day for May, the wind whipped through his hair as he ran to Richie’s location.

The wolf was leaned up against one of the trees on the outskirts of the school’s property. His eyes were yellow, his clawed fingers dug trenches into the dirt from where they laid, his beanie sat on the ground beside him and his head was leaned back against the tree.

“What the hell happened?” Were the first words out of Eddie’s mouth. His eyes scanned their surroundings to make sure there was no one in eye or ear shot.

“I was just- _AH_ ” Richie jerked upwards as he tried to hold in any loud noises he might make.

Eddie moved from his squatting position to leaning forward on his knees. He held his hands out on either side of Richie’s face, carefully cupping his cheeks. Eddie closed his eyes to focus on the power that flowed from him into Richie.

When Richie’s claws retracted and his eyes reverted back to brown, he let his hands wander up to lay on top of Eddie’s. That bit of confirmation prompted Eddie to lean in closer and rest his forehead on Richie’s.

“Thanks” Richie whispered.

“W-What happened?” Eddie’s voice shook, drained from using so much power. His knees shook as he leaned away from Richie and sat on his heels.

“I was in art. And- and I couldn’t sit still. I was painting and my damn leg wouldn’t stop shaking.” Richie grimaced at the thought, then he piped up as if he remembered something that’d been forgotten, “ _And_ I fucked up my art piece cause my hand was all shaky. It got to me, _all of it_. School, the trip, Bill, the full moon…” Richie’s voice drifted off, his leg began shaking.

Eddie stayed silent for a beat, when he finally spoke his voice was small. “I might know something that can help.” Eddie’s eyes drifted up to meet Richie’s, which were yellow again. They flickered between Eddie and his hands that were slowly shaking.

Eddie snatched Richie’s beanie off the ground, tapped Richie’s shoulder “tag” he said with a wink, as if it was a challenge. The bunny jumped to his feet and ran in the opposite direction, away from the wolf. He didn’t have to wait long before he heard Richie’s feet pound the ground behind him. There was a path in front of them but Eddie decided to make a sharp turn and continue in the forest. He ran past trees and rocks, they passed in a blur as he picked up the pace. Eddie’s eyes turned blue when he hit an inhuman speed.

Richie laughed maniacally as he chased Eddie through the forest. He leaped over branches and roots in hopes of keeping up with Eddie who had the upper hand with more of a control over his powers. But Richie was a day away from his first full moon, so he was packed with a lot more energy than either of them realized. Richie didn’t have to use his Anesetrial abilities until Eddie leaped over a small stream, that’s when Richie kicked it into full gear, he gained some momentum before jumping over the running water.

He landed with a thud and almost lost his balance. Richie wobbled and looked around, unsure of where Eddie went within the moment that he was distracted. The wolf closed his eyes, listening closely for the familiar sound of Eddie’s heartbeat that he’d memorized like a song. Every thud and beat like the rhythm to a new hit single that always brightened his mood. Richie smirked when the sound of Eddie’s deep breathing came into range.

Eddie heard Richie leap and almost stumble, so he used it to his advantage. He hid behind one of the bigger bushes in his area. Some time passed and Eddie didn’t hear Richie approaching, so he poked his head out to scan his surroundings.

“What are we looking for?” Richie whispered from behind him.

Eddie shrieked and stumbled forwards, he practically jumped out of his skin. His heart hammered inside of his chest at the sight of the boy who couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“Oh my god! You should’ve seen your face! Priceless!” The taller boy snorted.

“Yeah, hilarious, hysterical.” Eddie scoffed, trying to catch his breath. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest with a certain level of sass.

Once Richie stopped laughing and caught his breath, he looked over at Eddie, “Come on! It was _kinda_ funny.” He reasoned as he took a step closer

“Not when you’re the one who alomst shit his fucking pants” Eddie pouted, his hands subconsiouly traveled up to fiddle with his compass.

Eddie didn’t need to look up to know Richie was giving him his iconic puppy dog eyes. He placed his hands on Eddie’s and held them lightly, “Oh my- Pwease fowgive me.” Richie said in a baby voice.

Finally Eddie’s ice blue eyes rose to meet Richie’s bright yellow ones. “God, you’re such a child,” he rolled his eyes when a drop of water splattered on his cheek. Eddie slipped his hand out from Richie’s and felt his now wet skin as another drop hit his forehead.

Richie followed suit, but instead he used his thumb to wipe away the raindrop off of Eddie’s cheek. He felt the skin beneath his heat up at the contact.

The rain picked up fairly quickly, going from a light drizzle to a heavy downpour.

The taller boy looked down at his shorter counterpart and smiled, the water running down his face and matting bits of his hair to his head.

Eddie pulled something out of his pocket, stood on his tippy toes and put Richie’s beanie up over the wolf’s head. His heart beat faster and faster as he realized how close they had gotten. Eddie’s hands lowered from where they had put Richie’s beanie on to sit comfortably on Richie’s shoulders. From there he pulled Richie down to meet him in the middle and their lips met.

Richie pulled away “What? Are we in some cheesy Disney rom com?”.

Eddie sighed, but his voice held no annoyance, “Oh shut up trashmouth.” And he pulled his boyfriend down to kiss him again. They moved slowly and in sync, all of their extra energy had been burned off so they were able to absorb the moment and let it last until they broke away to catch their breaths, but only for a moment before they went back in.

~

That night Eddie was having trouble sleeping, every little creak and crack had him up and checking the windows and doors. The almost full moon loomed overhead in a mocking manner to which Eddie groaned and threw it the bird. But it was the sound of something pounding against a wall that brought Eddie down to the main floor. He peaked out from behind the curtains in the main entrance and gasped at what he saw.

Bill Denbrough stood in front of his slightly visible forcefield, which was what was emitting the constant pounding sound, it matched the way Bill pounded his fist against the transparent bubble protecting the house.

The house was practically emitting an uneasy vibe which Eddie picked up on immediately. After being in the house of magic for so long, he was bound to have absorbed some of the power, which was why he sometimes felt the presence of another being when he was supposed to be home alone.

“Don’t open up, I repeat _do not._ ” Eddie commanded whatever spirit controlled the forcefield. He gave Bill one more glance before he stormed out of the front area and into the kitchen and out the back door.

~

“Eddie I-I know you’re in the-there!” Bill shouted into the dark night.

After another day with no further luck in uncovering the secrets behind his father's death, Bill decided to take things into his own hands and go to Eddie himself.

It might’ve taken him a while to retrace his steps but soon he found the familiar clearing that he’d seen in his dreams, but this time he actually went up to the place where Eddie disappeared. He found that something _was_ there, he couldn’t see it but he could feel it, a barrier that separated him from wherever Eddie was.

Bill was preoccupied with calling out to Eddie and slamming his fists into whatever barrier was between them. He didn’t even catch the white rabbit that rounded the corner behind him, nor did he notice Eddie appear in place of said rabbit.

Once Eddie was himself again, he stood tall behind Bill and called out to him, “What do you want Bill?”.

Bill’s human heart stopped at the sound of the familiar voice. He whipped around, nearly gasped at the sight. With wide eyes he stared at the teen who stood before him.

Suddenly all of the human’s bravery dissipated, leaving him speechless, “E-Eddie what the-”

But Eddie stood his ground, he was done with worrying about Bill and his bullshit, “What. Do. You. Want” He repeated himself, pronouncing each word individually as he took another step forward.

Somewhere in the distance lightning struck, it illuminated the night sky around them. The sudden burst of light caused Eddie to look like a silhouette for a moment, everything went dark aside from his glowing blue eyes, causing Bill’s stomach to twist at the haunting figure. The wind proceeded to pick up, whipping through the boy’s hair and stealing the air from Bill’s lungs. He gasped helplessly and coughed before he covered his mouth with his hand in order to breath properly.

Power surged through Eddie’s viens. Sure it had rained that day, but Eddie had a feeling it wasn't just mother nature that was creating this storm.

After he caught his breath he allowed his gaze to rise from the muddy ground and meet the ones of the other. Straight to the point he asked, “Did you kill my father?” Bill’s voice was serious and steady as he kept himself from stuttering.

The Ancestor’s blue eyes narrowed at the human, he took another step towards him. “ _I_ didn’t kill him. _He_ was shot, and _I_ tried to save him. That’s how I ended up here.” Eddie explained, teeth gritting and fists clenched, his anger growing with the darkening clouds overhead.

“What? Th-That makes no sense. H-He died of a h-eart attack” Bill reasoned as he grasped at straws. He tried to mentally connect the dots and make sense of this but he was still missing too much information.

“ _Yeah,_ ” Eddie scoffed, now he was slowly approaching Bill. “Where I come from, there’s this _council_ , and they rule above all else. After _I_ saved him, they came in. Apparently I had ‘gotten to close’ and ‘revealed our secret’. So they killed him themselves, and set everything up _perfectly,_ ” Eddie explained, now maybe a foot or so away from Bill. “And everyone believed it!” He threw his hands into the air. “Except _you,”_ He jabbed a finger at Bill’s chest. Bill nearly stumbled back at the sudden contact. “ _You_ need to keep your fucking mouth shut” Eddie grabbed Bill by the collar of his jacket and lifted him off the ground, pinning him against the forcefield. “Because if _anyone catches a whiff_ of this. _I. Am. Dead._ You get that right?” Eddie practically growled.

Bill’s entire body shook at the sight of the feral Eddie that held him up. Without even fully understanding what he was doing he rapidly nodded his head.

Then Eddie leaned forward and whispered, “ _Good._ ” And within the blink of an eye, Bill was dropped onto the ground and Eddie disappeared.

Bill’s heart beat in his throat as his gut untwisted ever so slightly. His eyes scanned the area but Eddie was nowhere to be seen. Bill nearly jumped out of his skin when another round of thunder cracked overhead.

**~**

Richie laid awake in his bed, the duvet that had once covered him had been thrown off hours ago to allow his bare skin to breath. It felt as if someone had replaced his blood with hot flowing lava. It coursed through his veins in their desperate search for any type of exit so it can finally break free of the shell it’s housed in. His breathing was low and deep, as if he was releasing a steady growl whenever he exhaled.

Richie’s mind was like a hurricane, and he was in the eye of the storm, never thinking about one thought for too long before it eventually got swept away and replaced by something else. He could see tens of other thoughts rush past him but nothing ever stuck around long enough for him to give it his full attention.

He gladly took the soft clicking sound from his window as a perfect opportunity to rise from his bed and go see what was creating the noise. Richie stumbled over to his window and hastily drew the blinds. The nearly full moon lit up the Tozier’s backyard and created shadows that lurked on the outskirts of their property. His eyes caught on the looming figure directly below his window. Richie unlocked the window then yanked it open. He stuck his head out and into the cool night air as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. It didn’t take long for him to recognize who he was staring at.

“Eddie?” Richie called out, he regretted how loud his voice was but he was surprised and couldn’t control it.

“Yes! Of course it’s me dumbass who else-”

“What are you doing here?” Richie interrupted him, too worried about _why_ he was standing outside of his window at 2 am.

“Can I… Can I come up there?” His voice wavered as his blue eyes shined in the moonlight.

Richie’s breath caught in his throat as he rushed to reply, “Yeah, sure. Um, how are you gonna-?” As he began to ask Eddie turned and started scaling the old maple tree beside his window.

Richie was a little nervous as Eddie had never done it before and he seemed a little distraught. The last thing Richie needed was for Eddie to lose focus and hurt himself.

The wolf watched carefully as the rabbit climbed up the main trunk and onto the branch that was closest to Richie’s window. He pulled the window open as far as possible to allow Eddie to climb his way inside. Richie stepped aside as Eddie swung his leg in and pulled his other leg over the window sill into Richie’s room. Before that foot landed on the floor, he wobbled and lost his balance.

Richie jumped into action, his instincts kicked in and allowed him to catch Eddie before he fell to the floor, inevitably waking his parents and alerting them of their late night activities. Richie rapidly wrapped his arms around Eddie’s form, holding him tightly to prevent any further tripping.

What Richie wasn't expecting was for Eddie to squirm out of his arms and shake his grasp off. Before Richie could protest or interrogate further, Eddie spoke with a distant and annoyed tone.

“Bill just paid me a fucking visit.” He harshly brushes his sweat pants off.

That grabbed Richie’s attention as he leaned his head in “What? Seriously?”.

Eddie stopped brushing his pants off and narrows his eyes, “ _Yes_ , why the fuck would I lie about that?” He continued before Richie could get a word in, “He came in all guns ‘a blazing, interrogating me about his dad. Then I ending up spilling the _fucking_ beans about the council a-and and-” Eddie anxiously ran his hands through his hair and tugged at the roots. Everything had finally setteled and it was a lot to take in all at once.

The only thing Richie was able to ask was, “Does he know about me?”.

“Does _he_ know about _you_? Of course not! Do you seriously thinkg I’d rat you out like that? Seriously.” he stopped to turn towards Richie and his hands were in that classic chopping motion he does when he’s really pissed. “My life could be on the fucking line and all you care about is yourself,” Eddie hissed and stepped back, away from Richie.

“No- Eds you know that’s not what I meant.” Richie held his hands out in defense, his eyebrows crinkled as regret filled his eyes.

“Don’t call me that, not now. Who gives a shit if Bill knows? If he finds out about any of us, we’re both done for. Can we just fucking sleep? I’m tired as hell.” Eddie guestured lazily towards the bed, not exactly giving up, just tired of fighting. Realization washed over the rabbit as he sighed, “ _And_ we have the fucking trip tomorrow.” Without another word the shorter male grabbed the duvet that’d been tossed aside and curled up in bed, not caring how much was left for the other boy.

Richie looked around, unsure of what his next move should be. _Should I go sleep on the couch downstairs? Or maybe I could break out the sleeping bag. Eddie’s pissed and I cannot have him bailing on me tomorrow, for both of our safeties._ Quietly, Richie climbed into bed. He let out a heavy exhale as his head hit the pillow. He let Eddie have all of the blankets he desired, since his body was still hot and sweaty.

“I _am_ sorry Eddie.” Richie whispered into the dark room, sincerity laced his words.

Eddie simply grunted.

“Eddie please…” Richie scooted a little closer. “You know, it’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you. There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do” He said.

Eddie abruptly rolled over to face Richie, his face stern, mad even, but that was only a mask to hide the grin he was holding back. “Did you just fucking quote Africa by Toto?” He inquired with a scrunched up face.

Richie’s poker face shifted to a shit eating grin, “Does that make you horny baby?” Richie asked in his best Austin Powers impression.

Eddie acted immediately by grabbing the pillow from under his head and slapping Richie over the head with it. “Asshole!” He hollered with a vicious smile plastered over his lips.

“IT DOES I KNEW IT!” Richie exclaimed, half in the Austin Powers accent, half laughter.

“You’re such an idiot Richie Tozier!” Eddie called out as he held back laughter.

Richie’s smile only brightened further “But I’m _your_ idiot.” He shoved his index finger over to poke Eddie’s chest.

“Fuck, I hate you,” Eddie finally released a small giggle.

“I hate you too.” Richie agreed as he leaned in and lightly kissed his boyfriend. 

**Word Count: 3426**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS NEXT CHAPTER IS THE BIG DAY! THE FULL MOOOOON!!! YEEEHAW
> 
> GET. READY. 
> 
> CAUSE NEXT CHAPTER?
> 
> IS GOOD
> 
> I mean the whole fricken story is amazing but now it's like the good stuff. Also we're nearing the end of the fic and ahhhhh. 
> 
> I really hope you guys enjoyed this!
> 
> And don’t forget to check me out on Instagram @ stellar.alley if you want to see more of my real life and some behind the scenes content! Also check out my a03 account for more stories @ stellar_alley. Don't forget to like,comment and share to show your support!
> 
> That's all from me y'all, until next time
> 
> So Long and Goodnight


	17. =~•Chapter 17•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Losers attend the school's annual field trip to a small island. What possibly could go wrong?!

The next morning Richie drove the two Ancestors to school in time to meet up at the required time before the bus leaves at 6.

“What animal schedules a school trip at 6 am?” Richie groaned as he parked at his normal spot in the school parking lot. Once the engine was off Richie finally turned to look at Eddie but quickly glanced down at their hands that were intertwined on the console between them.

After the fight and Richie’s terrible impressions, they eventually made up; they both mentally agreed that they can’t risk separating at this point, especially with the trip in literal hours.

“Well we’re here, we can’t bail now,” Eddie shrugged as he looked from Richie, out into the rising sun over the horizon. “Come on, let’s go puppy.” Eddie requested with a smirk as he opened his door, nearly took a step out before he looked over to Richie for help, his big doe eyes shining in the morning sun.

Richie smiled warmly before he hopped out, went to Eddie’s side and took his hand in his to help him down. “M'lady,” Richie said as Eddie stepped down beside him.

In response he got a slap on the shoulder, “Trashmouth” Eddie playfully rolled his eyes. He grabbed his bag from the back and stepped aside to allow Richie to retrieve his own before they closed the trunk and made their way towards the school.

The rest of the Losers could be seen by the bleachers not too far away from where the teachers were rounding up all the other students who were going on the trip.

“Sup Losers!” Richie called out as he and Eddie approached the others.

“Hey Rich, glad you could make it.” Bev shot him a smirk as she took a drag from her cigarette.

“I don't think any of us have ever seen you up before 8.” Mike joked, he turned to Eddie and asked, “Did you have to lure him out of bed with like a 6 shot of coffee?”. Mike didn’t make jokes like that often, but when he did, they were good.

Richie let out a bark of laughter and slapped his thigh, “Aha! Mikey gets off a good one. No but seriously imma pass out on the bus wake me up when it’s time to go home”. No one was sure whether he was being serious or not…

It was a miracle that all of the Losers were conveniently going on this trip. It was an English trip that was always accompanied by the Creative Writing class, which was taught by Mrs. Stuart. So Richie, Eddie, Ben and Stan were all in English together while Bev, Bill and Mike took the creative writing class.

While they awaited for further instructions from their teachers, the teens talked about random gossip they’d heard recently or rant about family/school life. Almost everyone had something to add, _almost_. Bill nodded and looked interested, yet he never spoke, well unless he was spoken to but everyone got the vibe that he wanted to be left alone (which was correct). So he stood slightly behind Stanley, so close that the taller boy could feel Bill’s heavy sigh on the back of his neck. It sent shivers down Stan’s spine.

When it was time to line up to get onto the bus, the Losers were the first in line. It allowed them to get the luxury of the back seats. Bill claimed the window seat of the second last seat, Stan slid in beside him, the two boys almost immediately fell asleep, Bill head rested on Stan’s shoulder while Stan’s rested on top of Bill’s. Mike claimed the seat behind them, the back seat. He sat on the edge with his feet in the aisle to face his friends. Richie and Eddie took one back seat while Ben and Bev claimed the one in front of them.

Everyone got settled and ready for the hour (or so) ride ahead. Suddenly, Ben whipped out Uno, _things just got interesting_.

~

“Don’t you _fucking_ dare do it” Eddie glared daggers at Richie who slowly placed a pick up four card on top of the privious Uno card.

“Fucking hell!” Eddie swore as he tossed the rest of his cards down onto the pile.

Richie couldn’t hold back his laughter as he watched Eddie fume and sulk in the corner. Ben and Bev joined in as they sat on their knees and leaned over the back of their seat and into Eddie and Richie’s area.

“Wanna play another round?” Ben inquired as Eddie shook his head.

“I’m tired- plus if this ass hat pulls another plus 4 card out I’m going to kill everyone on this bus, then _mysel_ f” Eddie said in a joking tone.

Once Bev and Ben were turned around and settled back into their seat, Eddie leaned his head against the window and his hands on his knees.

Neither of them could deny the fact that they both felt a little claustrophobic on the bus, their Ancestral sides craved to break out and run free. They felt too big for their bodies, like their skin was stretching and their bones were aching.

Richie examined the other Ancestor, the morning sunlight made his freckles shine like stars in the night sky. As much as he wanted to count each and every one of them, his attention was caught by something that rippled over Eddie’s hand. He looked down and noticed how the veins on Eddie's hands, the ones that usually go unnoticed, were dark, almost black. As if someone had injected a black ink like iquo into his veins. Richie quickly slapped a hand over Eddie’s.

Eddie’s eyes snapped down to the hand that Richie held. “It’s okay Rich, it happens on the full moon sometimes. Usually not this early on in the day but- later on it’ll get worse. For the both of us” A grime wave passed over Eddie's eyes as he looked at Richie.

Richie shook his head, slowly, and carefully took Eddie’s hand in his and lifted it up to his face where he kissed the back of his hand, black veins and all.

Eddie blushed, leaned forward and buried his face into the crook of Richie’s neck. Richie wrapped his arm around Eddie’s shoulders and held him close. “Get some shut eye, we’ve still got a ways to go…”.

~

“Okay ladies and gentlemen” Mr Brock said as he stepped off the bus, ahead of the students. “Woah one by one” He instructed as the students began rushing out of the bus.

The losers were the first ones on, that mean they would be the last ones off. Seeing the cliffs, the long green grass, the water that came with the salt in the air, Eddie and Richie were dying to get out and _be one_ with nature. Their extra energy had them bouncing in their seats as they waited for the line up to slowly make its way out of the bus.

“Tag” Richie whispered into Eddie’s ear the moment he stepped off the bus. Immediately afterwards he started sprinting away from the bus, his Ancestral blood pumping through his veins, a certain weight lifted off their shoulders as they ran out in the open. Richie had ran in a circle around their group of students before Eddie quickly caught up and slapped his back-

“Boys calm down!” Mrs. Stuart, called out with a small glare.

Richie halted, Eddie ran into his back. They both turned and giggled like little school girls. “Good one Rich, getting us in trouble before the tour even starts” Eddie mumbled as Richie elbowed him back in response.

Soon a representative from the island came to talk to them and explain how they’d go to the main castle and that’s where they’d meet the tour guide. During that time, Riche took a moment to survey his surroundings.

The wind blew in soft bursts through the tall lush grass on the outskirts of the small city, which consisted of the main building, which could’ve been called a small castle by the way it looked from the outside. Not only was it a castle but it also dubbed as a hotel. But there were also about 20 houses and some general stores. Beyond the main city area, the grass flowed out onto the gravel beaches and into the white waves. Farther out, down a hill there would be ruins of the original city that once laid there. All that was left were tunnels, caves and cement foundation.

“Now _this_ would be a cool place to spend a full moon…” Richie’s voice drifted off as he imagined it in his head.

“Hmm sure” Eddie replied without taking his eyes away from the teacher who was speaking.

“Seriously though! Imagine it, running wild in the ruins, frightening the villagers” Richie jokes. Eddie rolled his eyes, Richie sighed, “Okay what about the beach? You can’t say you haven’t imagined spending a full moon out by the water” he reasoned as he looked at Eddie straight on.

Eddie’s arms that had once been crossed were now down by his sides, “Even if I did, it’s not like we _can,_ our safest option is to just spend it with your dad. We cannot risk getting caught, _not now_ ” he huffed.

The wolf knew the rabbit had a point, but he couldn’t help thinking what it would be like to live like the Ancestors had before, at one with nature.

~

“So if you would kindly follow me into the lobby where you will be introduced to your tour guide for today” The man explained as he led the group through the little town area that separated them from the castle.

All the students oowed and awed at the old fashioned buildings that sat on either side of the road they walked on. Everything was made out of red burgundy bricks, wooden rooftops and white fences.

“It is kinda cool…” Eddie mumbled to Richie.

The group approached the castle and noticed the professional looking lady that stood on the front steps. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for coming to our quaint little island of Balmoral” The lady held her arms out to welcome the students before she continued her speech. “This island is protected by the ocean on all sides, the only way of accessing it is during the day while the tide is low. So our time is short, that’s why I’m so glad we get to have you all hear for the limited time between high tide, shall we begin?”.

“That’s what I was saying! Come on Eddie spaghetti you really need to start listening to me-“ Richie was cut off when he ran into Eddie who was walking infront of him, but had ubrutly stopped. “Woah what’s up spaghetti-“

“ _Shut up trashmouth_ ” Eddie hissed, his eyes wide, body frozen in shock. Before Richie could question him further, Eddie took a few swift steps and practically hid behind Richie’s taller figure.

“Shut up- Shut up shut up!” Richie turned to face Eddie who shrank back, away from Richie touch. His voice was low and anxious, he was almost shaking as his eyes finally met.

“Woah what’s going on. Eddie talk to me” Richie whispered low enough for only Eddie to hear. To comfort Eddie, Richie reached his hand out and placed it on the back of the other’s head, sliding his fingers under Eddie’s beanie and into his hair. He felt Eddie physically melt into his touch

Eddie hesitated before he Began, “T-That lady is-“.

“Everything okay?” Mike asked with concern as he came up from behind them.

“A-Asthma” Eddie gasped as he started waving his hand around as if he were gesturing for someone to give him something.

Richie rapidly clued in on what Eddie was gesturing to. He did that dance when you check your pockets, he tried his inner jacket pocket, outer jacket pocket, amd both of his pant pockets. Then hre remembered where he kept it and leaped to open his bag’s back pocket. Quickly he yanked Eddie’s spare inhaler from the pocket, shook it rapidly and handed it to Eddie.

The rabbit barley had any time to question why Richie had it before he popped it in his mouth, _one pump, two pumpes_. Finally his breath slowly began to return.

“I-I’m okay” Eddie breathed, releaved to be able to have his breath back.

“Always prepare, right Rich?” Mike clapped him on the back, shooting him a proud smile before he went to catch up with the rest of the Losers who were at the front of the group. Stan had noticed Eddie’s little attack and instead of leading the rest of the group towards the ancestors, he suggested they go towards the front to hear what the tour guide had to say, in hopes that they wouldn’t notice what was happening.

Eddie and Richie stayed behind as they turned to face eachother.

“What the hell is going on?” Richie demanded with a serious tone.

“Me? Why the hell do you have my spare inhaler? I knew I lost this thing!”.

“I took it to be prepared for exactly this” Richie said.

Eddie began theoriesing, “But my asthma never fucking acts up anymore so why-“.

Richie sntached the inhaler out of Eddie’s grasp and shoved it back into his pocket, “OKay I was worried? Sue me. What the fuck happened in the first place?”.

It was almost as if Eddie had forgotten what he’d seen only minutes before. “That lady, the fucking _tour guide_ , is in the council-“

“WHAT!” Richie exclaimed, catching everyone’s attention in doing so. The students, teachers, _and_ the lady tour guide all turned to stare at the all too shocked teenage boy and his smaller, feistier boyfriend. “What do you mean this was Shakespeare's summer cottage! That’s so _cool_ ” Richie joked as he forced a laugh. Thankfully his shitty performance made everyone feel awkward enough to look away as the tour guide continued her introduction.

“Jesus trashmouth” Eddie groaned as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Not the time Kasbrak, you've got some explaining to do” Richie rubs the back of his kneck as he closes his eyes in hopes of rubbing away the emarrasment he just endured.

“That lady is Elizah Brightmoon, she’s the leader of the fucking council” Eddie stressed.

Richie raised his eyebrows, “What? How the hell is she here?” He interrogated.

“How the fuck am I supposed to know? What are we supposed to do! If she sees me I’m as good as dead. And we both know they wouldn’t mind that” Eddie glanced away, behind Richie’s shoulder to look at the tour guide, Elizah. She was explaing the plan for their day.

“Call your parents they must know what to do” Eddie waved wildingly at Richie who proceeded to search for his phone.

The teen found his phone in his inner jacket pocket and quickly dialed his dad’s mobile number which Went had him memorize when he was a kid. His heart nearly stopped when he heard the beep and a robotic voice tell him that he’s ‘Out of range of any cellular towers’ and that he should ‘please find the nearest cellular tower to continue your call’.

“ _Shit_ , I don’t have service” Richie groaned as he ran his hand over his snapback, carful not to reveal his wolf ears.

“What does that mean?” Eddie lifted an eyebrow as he had yet to grasp _all_ of the human’s concepts of technology.

“I-I can’t call them. We’re on our own” Richie realized.

“Now if you’d follow me then we can begin our tour of the castle” Elizah began as she moved into the castle. The group slowly followed behind her, Richie and Eddie shared a look or worry before they tilted their heads down and followed behind everyone else.

~

The tour actually went fairly well, once they were shown the main lobby of the castle, Mr Brock split them up into two groups, one group went with Eliza while the other went with Mr Brock and Janet, one of the other tour guides who was, according to Eddie ‘some random lady he didn’t know’.

By the power of lucky, or magic, Eddie and Richie were put into the group led by Janet. Aside from the two being nearly overwhelmed by worry, they were actually _kinda_ able to enjoy the tour with their friends.

First Janet led them through the castle, citing off random facts about its creation and the builder. Which The Losers mostly listened to, Rich and Bev made jokes about what the creator _probably really did_ in each room, Eddie complained about how dirty everything probably is (and worried about the whole council thing). Ben, Stan and Mike actually listened and tried to take notes. Bill tried to as well but he couldn’t help but notice how tense Richie and Eddie had become.

Sure things were tense between Eddie and Bill (Richie too, even though Bill didn’t know Richie’s secret, he was still on edge), but it was as if they made a mental agreement to stay on opposite ends of their group and keep to limited conversation if any.

Before they left the castle, Janet showed them around the lobby. The room was massive, and very fancy. White tiled floors, high ceilings with intricate designs made of gold and silver. In the middle was a massive crystal chandelier that hung elegantly from the ceiling. In the main area of the lobby there were couches and love seats for people to sit or wait, the main desk, and in the back there was an almost museum like set up.

The tour guide held her hand out to show off the display cases infront of her as she led toe group towards the back of the lobby. “Here we have our artifact sections. Everything here had an important part in Balmoral’s creation, from the first shovel that broke dirt to the last weapon that was used as defense” Janet paused in the middle of the mini musem to allow the students to wander and look at the artifacts.

There were about 10 display cases that house various items, shovels and pickaxes as Janet described, as well as old knives, daggers, rusty old guns. But one gun in particular caught Bill’s eye, it looked newer, cleaner and shinier. A familiar small patch of rust around the mussel.

Old memories flooded his mind as he recalled the various times his father had sat him down and told him his latest and greatest story from the most recent hunt. Bill’s lips unconsciously curved into a grim smile, his eyes became a little wateryer as his hand brushed overtop of the glass casing. It couldn’t be, it can’t be…

A hand landed on his shoulder, breaking Bill out of his thoughts, “You okay Big Bill?” Mike asked curiously.

Bill quickly wiped at his eyes, catching any tears that might have managed to escape during his emotional moment. “Yep, yep. A-All good” Bill nodded, turning away from the case to face the rest of the group.

“Wanna go check out the murals?” Mike inquired, already steering Bill in the direction of the paintings.

After the castle Janet showed them outside through the big glass doors in the back of the mini musem. From there she took them around the fields surrounding the town. Mr. Brock gave them a mini lecture of the history behind the island and it’s original purpose while the students listened and took notes as it would help with their final project. The teacher explained that the final project would have the students do a presentation on one of the town’s famous stories that they’ve picked up on the trip. Balmoral was famous for various pieces of lore and make believe creatures, so the students had a lot to choose from.

The group was already sat outside so when the teacher announced it was time for lunch they simply opted to stay outside and eat on the lush grass by the water.

“Guys I’m kinda feeling a little uh homesick, might go on a walk, anyone want to join me?” Richie urburtly stood up.

“Yeah, love to” Eddie pipped up.

“OKay good, thanks, bye guys” Richie waved and they were off before anyone else could get a word in.

“Well that was normal” Beverly noted as she took a bit of her sandwich.

Stan inhaled and let out a loud sneeze, “Allergies”, he brushed it off.

Bill kept an eye on the two who were walking away from the group. He leaned over to Stan “Keep an e-eye on the-them, something isn’t ri-right” He whispered.

Stan shook his head, retrieved a kleenex from his pocket and whipped his nose. “What do you think is wrong?” He inquired.

“I-I don’t know” Bill lied. Sure, he didn’t knew _exactly_ what Eddie’s intentions were but he knew for sure that he wasn't human. He saw it with his own eyes! That day at the sleepover, ears like a rabit, the night before, eyes as blue as ice. He’s literally seen Eddie transform into a rabbit.

Bill couldn’t stop replaying the events from last night in his head. ‘ _Where I come from,_ if he isn’t from _here_ then where the hell is he from? _There’s this council, and they rule above all else. After I saved him, they came in. Apparently I had ‘gotten to close’ and ‘revealed our secret’_ These must be pretty fuking important secrets if they would kill an innocent man just to keep them hidden.

_My dad didn’t do anything, he just wanted some time away from the hecticiness of the Denbrough household, is that too much to fucking ask? Now Eddie, my only fucking lead might be a dead end! And if he isn’t to blame then who the hell is? Some fucking council?_

He snapped out of his thoughts when a hand touched his own. What Bill hadn't realized was that his fingers had curled into fists, tight fists, white knuckles and all. He slowly released his fists when Stan rested his own hand on top of them.

“You okay?” Stan asked curiously, his big blue eyes as pure as ever.

Bill sighed, his shoulders sagged, “F-Fine”. Stan leaned away from Bill and sneezed again.

~

Their day was almost over, they only had one place left to go which was Shakespeare's cabin, but that’s when Stan sneezed into his elbow. When he looked at the sleeve of his grey cardigan he noticed the disgusting looking mucus that now sat on the material. Not even a minute later Stanley stumbled over his own feet, he reached out to grasp Bill’s shoulder and even out his center of gravity.

The sudden touch ripped Bill’s attention away from the two ancestors and he re-focused it on Stan, who was now leaning up against him. “Are you oh-okay?” He asked, worried.

Stan looked up into Bill’s eye as he wrapped his arm around the other’s shoulders for support. “I’m fine Bill… I’m fine” Stan mumbled, his voice almost too mumbled to understand. A moment later he snapped his head away from Bill and proceeded to vomit all over the nice tile floor of the castle’s lobby.

**Word Count: 3855**

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Stan? Will he recover from whatever he has?  
> What will happen to Eddie and Richie as the full moon approaches?  
> Will Elizah find out about the two runnaway Ancestors?
> 
> Find out next Friday on Everfalls!
> 
> I hope you guys liked this chapter and are excited for what's to come! Cause trust me- it's goooood. So take a seat, stick around for a while, and enjoy the ride. 
> 
> That's all from me, until next time
> 
> So Long and Goodnight


	18. =~•Chapter 18•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does Stanley's sickness interfere with the Ancestors getting to the bus on time? Will they make it home in time for the full moon? Well you'll have to read and see!

“He’s been sick since tuesday, we went out after school and he was all congested and sneezy” Richie filled the Losers in as they sat in a circle outside the room where Stan was.

“And you didn’t tell anyone?” Mike asked, disappointment tainted his voice.

Richie’s shoulders sagged, “come on guys, we know Stan, he always gets a little sick, brushes it off then recovers! How was I supposed to know it would end up being a big thing”.

“No one could’ve known. Don’t beat yourself up Rich” Ben put a comforting hand on the wolf’s shoulder.

“Thanks haystack” Richie nodded his head slowly.

The click of a door opening caught The Losers attention. They all turned to watch Mr Brock emerge from the room, they caught a single glimpse of Stan through the door crack before it shut completely.

“What’s the status doc?” Riche put on a voice which got him an elbow to the ribs from Eddie.

“Beep Beep” he grumbled. Eddie’s hands were tense, up by his chest, anxiously fiddling with his compass.

“Well, he _is_ sick. We tried contacting his parents but the storm that rolled through last night knocked out the phone lines” Mr Brock explained.

Richie cast Eddie a glance, he remembered how he couldn’t call his parents previously.

Beverly stepped forward,“What’s gonna happen?” She asked with her arms crossed.

“Well we-“ Mr Brock started when the sound of another door bursting open stopped him mid sentence.

Mrs. Stuart stepped inside, “Everyone on the bus, the tide is rising ahead of schedule, we do not have much longer” she informed them.

“We aren’t leaving without Stanley” Bill stated as he straightened his posture. The rest of the Losers nodded in agreement.

“Well if he is still throwing up then we can’t have him on the bus” Mr Brock shook his head sadly, “there’s nothing I can do”.

“I-I am fine” Everyone turned to find Stan had dragged himself from bed and had leaned up against the doorframe behind them. His face was pale, the bags under his eyes were darker than previously and his usual straight posture was unusually low.

“Stanley I don’t believe that that’s a good idea” Mr Brock worried.

Stan sharply inhaled, tierd of the bullshit, “I said I was fucking fine so lets just get on the damn bus, alright?”. He was tired but also worried, Stan knew Eddie and Richie needed to get home before the moon rose.

After the rest of The Losers got in on it, and they were all able to force them to allow Stan on, as long as he had a garbage bin in range the whole time. He agreed so they shoved a dollar store garbage bin into his arms and rushed the group onto the bus. They barely had enough time to get settled before the bus driver hit the gas and began on their way to the main rocky road.

~

“Shit” The bus driver cursed as he raked his hand through his thinning hair. “Brock? We’re too late” he sighed as Mr Brock rushed from his seat to the front of the bus to inspect the road. Which wasn't really a road anymore as it meshed perfectly with the ocean around it.

“Shit” Brock repeated.

“Language!” Richie shouted from the back seat.

Mr Brock had to withhold the urge to flip off his student. Instead he curled his fingers into tight fists and sighed.

Eddie elbowed Richie as a means of telling him to shut up as he shot him a look of daggers. Richie laughed lightly before he met Eddie’s gaze, that’s when it dawned on him, what this meant.

“Oh shit”.

~

“Okay guys so good news! We were able to get rooms for everyone in the castle’s hotel!” Mr Brock tried so hard to sound excited but everyone could tell he was stressed.

The two Ancestors snapped to face each other. “What the hell are we gonna do?” Eddie demanded, voice low and tense.

Richie’s face scrunched up in confusion, “How the hell am I supposed to know! I’ve never done this before”.

“Get a room you two” Stan groaned in his sick nasally voice from the seat in front of them. Without another word Stan turned, sat on his knees and leaned over his seat to face them. “Why don’t you two just fucking sneak out of the hotel and shift on the beach?” Stan suggested.

The other two shared a look of confusion, “You could hear us?” Richie quirked an eyebrow.

“Yes I'm pretty sure my cousins in Hawkins could hear you. So next time you plan to discuss your full moon activities, keep it down” He advised before turning back around and sliding down into his seat.

“It’s not a bad idea though” Eddie contemplated the idea as Richie shoved his hand up into his snapback and ruffled his hair while still keeping his hat securely on his head.

Richie looked around then responded, “Okay fine, plus I bet it’ll be just us in the room so it’ll be easy as hell to sneak out-“.

~

Mr Brock stood in front of the class in the lobby of the castle “Sadly there were only a limited number of rooms left so four people per room, everyone group together”.

The Losers looked between each other. That’s the one thing that kinda sucked about their lucky number, _seven is an odd number_ , which meant that whenever they had to split up, the numbers were always off.

Richie and Eddie immediately stood together. Stan glanced at them and shuffled beside them, knowing they might need his help. Bill caught on and stepped beside them, because he wanted to keep an eye on those two, but also because Stan was his _bestest_ friend after all. But in the end all The Losers just stood in one group.

Eddie leaned towards Richie, “We _cannot_ room with Bill”.

“We’ll figure it out later, just act normal” Richie hushed him. Though he put on a relaxed face, he couldn’t help but check the time on his phone. It was 4 pm, the time they were supposed to be home at. The moon rose at 8, so they had a couple hours before they had to get out.

Slowly but surely Mr Brock and the other teachers approved and handed out keys to different rooms. When he finally reached The Losers he haulted with a sigh, “Sorry guys we said four per room, and Beverly, you need to room with people of the same sex” He said semi apogoltically.

Beverly groaned and tilted her head to look upwards, “Fuck my life” She rolled her eyes. “Welp looks like Imma go sleep in the bushes, peace” She held up a peace sign then walked a couple steps away backwards before turning and heading off on her way.

Before she could get very far someone who was vaguely familiar to Beverly walked up behind her and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Bev turned around and saw a girl from her grade, someone she’s pretty sure she’s seen with Eddie before.

“Hey uh- Sorry I just saw you didn’t have a group and I was wondering if you wanted to join my group. We uh- just need one more person” She smiled warmly. She had brown hair that fell just below her shoulders in soft curls. She wore a shirt she swore she picked up herself at Hot Topic once, it was a black button up with cute line art of crystals on it.

“Sure… Yeah” Beverly slowly nodded then continued, “thanks-?” She questioned carefully.

“Alley” She supplied happily, “My group is over this way” Alley said as she showed Bev over to where he group was standing.

Sadly Ben and Mike were put into a group with two guys they didn’t know very well, Boris and Theo, they seemed oddly familiar but they kinda kept to themselves.

After everyone was shown their rooms, which all consisted of two queen beds, a couch, a tv, and a desk. Nothing _too_ fancy but it was enough. The one thing that sucked was that the rooms didn’t have their own bathrooms. If you needed to go, then you’d have to go to the one that your floor shared. Since no one had any clothes to unpack, since they didn’t plan to stay the night, the four just kinda sat on their beds as Stan cradled his trash bin.

At 5 they were called down to have dinner in the dining hall. The table clothes were white lace and their silverware had exquisite floral designs on them. It was obviously not meant for a group of highschoolers.

While they ate there was some soft elevator like music that played in the background which was mixed with the sounds of low murmurs from the students. The kids spoke in hushed voices as they were slightly intimidated by how underdressed they all felt compared to the decorations of the room and the outfits of the staff.

“Yo would it be bad if I just let one rip right now?” Richie asked the Losers. Eddie rolled his eyes. Stan’s stomach turned at the idea of what that would smell like. Ben, Bev and Mike giggled to themselves while Bill focused on the food on his fork.

~

Bill was aimlessly channel surfing when Richie did a small backflip, rolling deeper back onto the bed before leaping to his feet and jumping on the bed.

“What? What are you doing?” Eddie questioned as he tilted his head back to look at Richie.

“Jumping!” He said simply.

Eddie rolled his eyes and grabbed his phone from his pocket, typing up a quick message before sending it off.

 **Eddie** **:** WTF are we supposed to do about Bill?

Richie felt his phone vibrate in his pocket so instead of bouncing again he fell on his butt and checked his messages.

 **Richie** **:** Wait a minute, I have an idea.

A couple moments passed before Richie abruptly got up from the bed and rushed out the door, firmly shutting the door behind him.

“S’he okay?” Stan mumbeled from where he sat hunched over the bin on the other bed.

Eddie shrugged, “Dunno”. He turned his head just in time to catch the weird glare he was getting from Bill. He quickly snapped his gaze down to his lap where his hands were aimlessly playing with the chain of his compass. With his anxiety levels high, and the fucking full moon rising, hsi viens had turned black again. He shoved them into his pockets and hopped Bill didn’t notice.

Richie waited in the bathroom for about 10 minutes before he left and made his way back to the room. He opened the door with a sigh and made sure he walked slowly up to the others.

“Guys I’m sorry but Eddie and I gotta go” Richie pulled his pants up uncomfortably.

“W-Why?” Bill stood up.

“Well… Last night I had mexican food, and the trash stomach isn’t happy about it. So I-uh, gotta be in a room closer to the bathroom” Richie informed them with an embarrassed tone.

“Why the hell would you do that? You know Mexican doesn't agree with you” Stan played along with the act.

“Right…” Bill nodded. “Then why do-does Eddie have to go?” He added.

“I-I need… support. Yep, that’s it, I need emotional support” Richie lied on the spot.

Eddie withheld a sigh, mentally face palming. But either way, he got up and stood by Richie’s side.

The wolf’s face fell “Sorry guys I feel another wave coming-” he announced before fleeing the room, Eddie in tow. The door closed with a slam and they didn’t stop until they were in the bathroom. Richie locked the door behind them with a sigh.

“Yeah cause this doesn't seem weird” Eddie commented.

“What do you want from me? This is the best I could come up with on such short notice” Richie looked down at his hands, they were the same as Eddie’s, black veins and all. He ripped his snapback off and started fanning himself, “Is it hot in here or is it just me?” He asked.

“Nope, it’s the moon” Eddie checked the time, 7:30. “We gotta get out of here, and _fast_ ” His ears were sweating from underneath his beanie which seemed to make his head way too hot at that moment.

Richie laced his fingers with Eddie’s then hovered his other hand over the doorknob, bracing himself, “Lay low alright? Anyone questions us, we say you need air because of your asthma”. Eddie nodded.

The werewolf squeezed his boyfriend’s hand with one hand and ran his other hand through his hair. His wolf ears immediately perked up. He closed his eyes and listened, carefully, he tried to pick up any sounds from behind that door and in the hallway ahead of them. The soft shuffling of foot steps filled the air, soon followed by the click of a door shutting. Richie waited a minute before he slid his hat back on, opened the door and stepped out. The two quietly tiptoed on the plush carpet that lined the floor of the castle’s hallway.

Halfway to the stairs, Eddie halted and clutched his abdomen. “ _Fuck_ ” He gasped.

Richie reached a hand out but it was slapped away by Eddie.

“I’m fine. Just hurts. We need to hurry” He whispered through gritted teeth.

Richie squeezed Eddie’s hand but continued on. When they reached the metal door to the stairs Eddie stepped in front of Richie and with a swift flick of his wrist the door magically opened just enough for them to slip through, closing quietly behind them.

Rushing down the stairs they shared the same pain that shot through their bodies every time their feet hit the floor. They burst into the main lobby, relieved to see that no one was at the main desk desk and the lounge area was empty. They rushed past the fancy leather seats and the artifact cases. Eddie held his hand out to open the door when the sound of a lady clearing her throat stopped them dead in their tracks.

“Well well well, someone out for a late night stroll?” Elizah’s british accent sent shivers down Eddie’s spine. He’d heard her give speeches countless times in the past but her voice never failed to bring goosebumps to his arms. “Please turn around, it’s _very_ disrespectful to not face someone when you’ve been spoken to, epssesually an elder” Her voice was like an ice dagger, cold and lethal.

Hesitantly the two Ancestors turned to face her. Immediately she scanned the two boys. A faint smirk spread over her lips but she spoke before either of them could examine it further. “See if I didn’t know any better, I would have assumed that you were one of our runaway Ancestors.” She paused to think, “Eddie Kaspbrak was his name… But oh _no_ , that simply cannot be, as he’s supposed to be _dead_ ”.

Richie tightened his grip on Eddie’s hand.

“But as I said, he was a _runaway_.” She took a couple steps towards them, hands behind her back then moved to settle them onto her hips. “Runways always find their way back, don’t they, _Edward_ ” She sneered.

Eddie’s eyes widened as his jaw fell slack, unable to properly respond. He could feel Richie growl as it reverberated throughout his body. It began in his chest and spilled out from his mouth.

She continued before either of the boys could speak up, “And who might you be, a young were-“.

“Boys?”

The rabbit and the wolf turned to the familiar voice.

“What’s going on? You two are supposed to be in your rooms” Mr Brock stepped out from one the shadows of the various hallways. Confusion covered his face as he approached the boys.

“Eddie’s asthma was acting up, he needed some fresh air a-and our window didn't open” Richie spit out, a nervous sweat breaking out under his hat, that unsettled feeling suddenly turned up a notch.

“Oh well is everything better now?” Their teacher worried.

Eddie still couldn’t speak, his mind was running a mile a minute. _She knew, the council knew_. Suddenly all of his worst nightmares were becoming a reality.

“Yes, _yes_. He’s much better. But uh, sir would you mind escorting me and my dearest friend back to our room. We seem to have forgotten the key, we left in a hurry” Richie almost slipped into one of his voices. But with all things considered, he opted to keep things mature and serious. He anxiously grasped his key in his pocket. He hadn't forgotten it. It never left his pocket since the moment they entered the room, but he knew that Elizah wouldn’t make a move in front of Mr Brock, their teacher, a _human_.

Mr Brock seemed taken aback by Richie’s new tone, “Oh, of course” he nodded, extending an arm for the boys to follow him.

Without missing a beat the two left Elizah in the lobby and followed their teacher back to their room. The walk was quiet, Mr Brock kept up a steady pace a couple feet ahead.

Richie carfully rubbed his thumb over the back of Eddie’s hand as a way to sooth him as their inevitable transformations would have to wait a little longer. When they reached their room, they thanked Mr Brock as he opened the door. He also closed it behind them, they quickly locked it behind them.

Bill had been sitting on the bed, his foot hadn't stopped tapping against the carpeted floor of their hotel room since Richie and Eddie left.

A quiet knock interrupted whatever show they weren’t watching on TV. They both stood Before the door opened, surprised to see their two friends, and their teacher standing at the door.

“H-Hey” Bill said as the two entered the room.

Stan placed the garbage bin on the ground beside him, “Is everything alright?” questioned.

Richie started, “Yep, all is fine-”

“How the hell can you say that?” Eddie ripped his hand from Richie grasp, he shook his entire body as if it would rid himself of the past 10 minutes.

Richie sighed, his temper rising “Eddie can we _not_ right now? We need to get the hell out of here, _now_ ”.

“W-Why? What’s guh-going on?” Bill stepped towards them.

“ _Not now_ ” Richie growled, his yellow eyes practically pierced Bill’s soul, sending shivers down his spine.

“Hey” Eddie grabbed the wolf’s wrist, grabbing his attention. “Let’s _go,_ ” He demanded. He nodded his head towards the window.

Without another word the Ancestors stepped up to the window. They opened the latch but the window was sealed shut, Richie barling had to focus to use his strength, opening it with ease while Stan and Bill watched nervously. The moon’s raw power coursed through his veins, the power simply sat at his fingertips now, begging to be used.

Stanley spoke up, concerned about his friends “Wait where are you going-”.

“Stan, cover for us? Alright? And whatever you do, _do not_ talk to Elizah Brightmoon” Richie explained before he stuck his head out the window, the drop was about 20 feet from their second story hotel room. “We can make it,” He said to Eddie who nodded.

Stan’s brow furrowed, “Wait what? Why? She’s the-”.

“She’s the leader of _the council_ ” Eddie put it simply, watching Richie stick his legs out the window and sit on the ledge.

No more questions were asked cause right after Richie dropped out of the window. The cool night air rushed past him before he landed on his feet. He took a second to regain his balance. Then he walked away from the hotel to make room for Eddie he watched as his boyfriend lingered momentarily on the window ledge before leaping down and joining Richie.

“What’d they say?” Richie asked as they began walking together towards the beach, away from the town.

“Just Bill being Bill” Eddie sighed, shaking his head.

When Eddie jumped, Bill and Stan rushed to the window and watched as their friend landed on his feet. They studied Eddie and Richie who began walking towards a location they didn’t know.

“They better make it” Stan muttered under his breath, but Bill heard.

“D-Do you know ab-about them?” He turned to face Stan.

“Umm, no?” Stan shrugged, really not wanting to lie.

“That’s such bullsh-hit Stanley and you know it” Bill snapped, he pointed a finger at Stan’s chest. 

Stan refrained from meeting Bill’s gaze, instead he looked over his shoulder, out into the property surrounding the town. He caught something out of the corner of the window, _someone_. “ _Shit_ ” Stanley cursed. He pushed past Bill to stand in front of the open window.

Bill didn’t wait to find what Stanley was looking at, his brows furrowed as he watched a lady in a long trench coat follow in the same direction that Richie and Eddie went. “Is that-“.

“Yes” The curly haired teen confirmed.

Bill twisted around to face the other, “We need to help them” he said, determination written all over his voice.

“What? But Bill you-“

“They’re still our friends. And they need us” There was no stutter in Bill’s voice.

Stan nodded a little, “Assemble the Losers” He declared. 

**Word Count: 3524**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I cannot believe there are only like 4 chapters left to everfalls, I think- I uh suck at math so enjoy that. But seriously next chapter- the rest of the chapters are all amazing. I mean they're all amazing but the next chapters are the final so they're just insanely better. So be excited for that!
> 
> Don't forget to like and comment, it really shows you care and wanna see more! But seriously thank you all for the support I've already gotten cause it means so much to me. Also go check out my new one shot Bubble Baths and Wet Cats, if you like tooth-rotting fluff and cats then that's the fic for you!
> 
> That's all from me y'all, so until next time, 
> 
> So Long and Goodnight!


	19. =~•Chapter 19•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie and Eddie struggle to get some privacy for their full moon transformations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based off of the artwork by oceanteeeth on Instagram!  
> Shout out to my beta psychcticminds on Ao3 and psychtic.minds on Instagram!

Richie couldn’t help the childlike giggle that escaped his mouth while he ran, hand in hand with Eddie. The wind blowing through their hair, tickling their ears. They ran to an area that was untouched by the lights of the town. Finally able to take their hats off. The lush grass turned to dark sand beneath their feet as they entered the beach.

Richie halted and clutched his abdomen, he let out a small shriek of pain.

Eddie let go of his hand and moved to crouch in front of his boyfriend. “Hey, Rich, look at me” he placed his hand under Richie’s chin to tilt his face to look at him. He wasn't surprised to see the eyes of a werewolf staring back at him. “It’s gonna get a lot worse before it gets any better, but I’m here, alright? So just-“ Eddie’s heart nearly stopped when the sound of another voice broke out from behind them.

“You know, when I first laid my eyes on you, of course I recognized you, Eddie. I had been searching for you for a while now. But your wolf friend seemed _so_ familiar, yet I couldn’t quite figure out who he was. _Finally,_ that tool of a teacher gave me your full name” Now Richie and Eddie stood facing her, both of their bodies ached to shift. “Richard Tozier, son of the banished werewolf Wentworth Tozier, and a filthy _human_ ,” She said as if his mother was a disgrace.

“Don’t you _dare_ speak of my mother that way you bitch,” Richie growled, fangs bared.

His words didn’t phase her, “It doesn't matter” She shrugged. “I’ll have to kill both of you anyways. We simply cannot allow our secret to be jeopardized,” She rubbed her hands together as if she were cleaning them of dust.

Eddie’s eyes scanned the beach, they landed on one of the large hills that turned into a cliff, overlooking the ocean. It reminded him of the day he left The All Lands. His mind raced as an idea sprouted in his head. He caught Richie’s eyes and looked between him and the cliff. Richie caught on, responded with the smallest nod.

“Come and get us, you hag,” Richie sneered, without missing a beat he and Eddie ran in opposite directions, both of them breaking out into an inhumanly fast sprint, despite the pain it brought them.

Elizah refrained from moving, instead, she glanced between the two, sighed and mumbled, “Such a shame…”.

~

Mike, Bev and Ben had all gathered in Bill and Stan’s room. Stan explained the situation at hand. He summarized Eddie’s backstory and what he had to do with Zack Denbrough’s death (Bill just nodded as everything made just a little more sense once someone else explained it). Then he moved onto The Council and what they’d done to Richie and Eddie. Finally he explained who Elizah is and what needed to be done if they wanted to keep their friends alive.

“We need to act _now,_ ” Mike confirmed, zipping his jacket up and pulling the hood over his head.

“But we need to be ca-carful, we’re dealing with fu-forces we don’t uh-uh-understand” Bill warned them as they all nodded in understanding. “They’re still our f-friends”.

“So remember, quickly and quietly” Stan reminded them before he quickly tossed back a pill for his stomach and chugged some water. Then proceeded to move towards the hotel room’s door. Just before he opened the door he turned to face his friends one final time and said, “Let’s do this Losers”.

~

The Losers had made it through the hallway and down the stairs without being caught. When they entered the lobby the sounds of voices bounced off the tile floor and stopped them in their tracks. Bill poked his head out from the stairwell and surveyed the castle’s lobby. He noticed the lounge was empty and so was the artifact hall which led to the door they needed to get to. Finally, he noticed the check in desk had a pair of big black boots propped up on it’s clean wooden surface. The guard that took the night shift was currently sitting comfortably in his desk chair as he watched something on his phone with great intensity. Which explained the voices.

“He’s distracted,” Bill whispered to his friends behind him. He waved his hand and began to quickly tip toe towards the door. They walked past the cases that contained the artifacts and that same gun from before caught his eye. Bill motioned for the others to go ahead of him when he stopped to examine it. Something deep down told him he was right, that it was the gun he knew so well. The one his father showed to him as a child, then when he finally came of age he was shown how to properly hold that same gun.

He scanned every detail of its metallic surface. But one detail, something so small and hidden confirmed his suspicions. On the bottom of the handle there was the smallest initials engraved into the butt of the gun, _ZD_. _Zackary Denbrough_. Bill smiled to himself. He was too overwhelmed to notice the way his eyes filled with tears at the sight of his dad’s gun.

_It would make sense, if this bitch is who she claims she is, and she did in fact kill dad, then it’d make sense that she has his gun. We never did find it after the accident.._

Beverly was the last one out, she looked back and noticed Bill was shoving something into the inner pocket of his jacket. “Bill!” She whispered yelled, “Get your ass out here!” She stepped outside, the cool night air engulfing her. She reached into her jacket pocket and adjusted the contents she had stashed away in there, obviously they weren’t meant to be stored in a pocket but she made it work.

“Whatcha got there?” Ben lightly nudged her with his elbow.

“Backup” She assured him with a wink. Bev grabbed one of the two things she had and tossed it to Ben. “You’ll know when the time comes”.

Bill gave one last glance to the night guard who was laughing at his phone. He joined the rest of his friends outside and they all began walking in the same direction that their friends had travelled.

~

The werewolf could physically feel his bones shifting. So he knew he should turn to head towards the cliff. From where he started on the beach, Richie ran all the way into the forest, away from the cliff to gather some more strength before continuing. He had a hand up on one of the trees to keep him up. His breaths were laboured and he coughed up blood. _I won’t be able to keep this up much longer_. But before he could think anything else a deep growl erupted from somewhere behind him in the forest. He looked behind him just in time to see a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring him down.

“Fuck me,” Richie sighed before he booked it out of the forest. Whatever that beast was didn’t take long to chase after Richie. It looked like some type of mega monster wolf, blood covered fur, knife-like fangs, hungry eyes that stared into your soul. He kicked it up a notch after he felt the beast nip at his heels.

Richie looked up towards the cliffs and mapped out how he would get there. From the cliff his eyes fell on another figure that was in a situation similar to his.

~

Eddie ran in the opposite direction that Richie had gone in. So that took him past the cliff and onto the other side of the beaches where the ruins laid in front of the caves. The rabbit paused momentarily behind one of the wreckages of what looked to once have been a house. Eddie sat on the sand with his back against a semi-demolished wall as he attempted to catch his breath.

His ears twitched as the breeze blew through them. At a moment’s notice they stood tall on his head, _alert_. Something had made a low grumbling noise from inside the caves. Sadly they were deep in the side of the hill so the moon’s light didn’t shine in them. But Eddie didn’t need the moon’s light to make out the bright yellow eyes that opened up before Eddie.

A sigh came from Eddie who got to his feet when the monster wolf stepped into the light. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He hoped the small partially destroyed wall in hopes that the ruins would act as an obstacle to slow the beast down as Eddie picked up his pace. He refrained from sprinting until he felt the wolf’s breath on his back. He was tired and knew the transformation would take enough energy out of him as it is.

He had never resented the moon’s powers for this long, and he was definitely feeling it. He felt too big for his body yet too small at the same time. His teeth felt as if someone had removed them one by one then put them all back in out of order. Eddie could almost feel the light layer of fur that crept just below his skin which threatened to break through.

Thankfully he and Richie made it onto the cliff at the same time, coming from different sides they met in the middle. They turned to stand back to back as they both faced their own beasts.

Richie’s fangs were out as he lashed and growled at the wolf before him. But the beast went unphased.

“Stand down,” a female voice called out which the boys had grown way too familiar with.

Elizah stood in the middle of the two wolves who immediately backed off, falling back to flank her either side. Though they had backed off of Eddie and Richie, they still bared their fangs, which were dripping with saliva and blood.

“We could’ve done this the easy way. But alas, the males of the species are always _much_ more stubborn. Like your father Eddie, I see so much of him in you” The mention of Frank Kaspbrak caused Eddie’s blood to boil. “It’s a shame you didn’t inherit more of his Ancestral magic, he was a truly gifted user. He was our high priest after all” She shot them a knowing smile.

Eddie’s brows furrowed together in confusion.

She tilted her head slightly, “Did you not know that? Oh, well you were quite young when he passed. Too bad you’ll never be able to find out, isn’t it?” she asked.

“You’re the reason he’s dead. He never did anything but try to help-“

“ _Humans_ , Eddie, he tried to help humans. I still can't believe you don’t see it. especially after living with them. They’re animals,'' She shook her head disapprovingly.

“No you’re the only animal here, you sadistic bitch,” Eddie growled as he took a step forward. Before he was able to continue towards her, Richie let out a groan of pain. Eddie snapped his head around to see a glowing yellow like aura around Richie’s form. He snapped his head back to Elizah and she smirked deviously at him.

“Not another step or the wolf gets it. Do I make myself clear?” She asked with her hand out, which was covered with the same yellow aura that now enveloped Richie.

“I was once like you, filled with innocent optimism, but I was actually clueless. Blind to the fact that humans only crave power, and they will do _anything_ to get it. Not to mention the fact that they fear what they don’t understand and would ultimately rage war on the Ancestors in order to get answers. Luckily I have a plan to keep everyone safe from this wretched species. A force that won’t let anyone out or in,” She monologues. She curled her fingers in ever so slightly and Richie’s groan turned to a shout as the aura changed from yellow to orange.

“But I cannot have either of you liabilities running around trying to stop me from putting in the barrier that would save Ancestors from the destruction of the bloody human race-“ A gunshot rang out through the valley, echoing off the hills and silencing Elizah.

Standing behind her was none other than The Losers Club. Bill held his father's gun high and proud, a wild, toothy smile plastered over his face. He didn’t aim to hit anyone, that shot was purely to grab their attention.

“Give us Eddie and Richie or else” Bill demanded, his voice stern and stutter less.

Elizah examined them, giving each Loser a solid glance over before a deep and evil laugh erupted from her mouth. “Or else? _OR ELSE?!_ Or else what sweetheart? Are you _, you_ going to shoot me with your dead father's gun?” The mention of Zack Denbrough froze Bill, and Elizah noticed. “What? You don’t think I know about you, William? And your poor father, he learned too much. Like you have,” She explained, then glanced between all of the Losers. “But all of your deaths will be for the greater good of the Ancestors. I should stop withholding the inevitable,” She finally sighed then with the slightest flick of her wrist, the wolves charged The Losers.

Bill took aim at one of the wolves, but when he went to pull the trigger nothing happened. Panic ensured the teen as he clicked it again, _nothing_. The wolf was quickly approaching as Bill struggled to figure out what was wrong. Suddenly something flew out and struck the side of the wolf’s head, catching its attention.

Bill turned to see Mike had collected some rocks he held in his jacket pockets. Locked and loaded, he pelted the wolf again, this time getting the beast's full attention, it turned and started towards Mike who continued to pelt it with rocks. He used it as a distraction to give Bill more time with the gun.

With that time Bill checked the gun, finding he had clicked the safety on when he hadn't noticed. With the flick of the switch, he was ready to shoot. He pointed the gun up aimed at the wolf that was lunging for Mike. _No time for mistakes_ , he told himself. He steadied his grip and pulled the trigger. The shot gave Mike time to put some distance between him and the wolf as the beast was momentarily shocked. Bill quickly approached the wolf, aimed, and shot off the killing blow. The beast fell to the ground in a lifeless heap of fur and claws.

Mike ran back to Bill, “Good aim” He complimented him.

“T-Thanks” Bill’s hands were shaking, unused to this much pressure, power, and the kickback.

While Mike was distracting the other wolf, Beverly stepped forward and removed the contents from her pocket. She pressed both the triggers just as the wolf approached them. A massive flame erupted from the lighter she held in front of the bottle of hairspray. It singed the wolf’s muzzle, sending it stumbling backwards. “NOW NEW KID!” She called out.

Ben stepped forward, shaking his spray bottle and spraying the wolf wherever he could, getting as much of the product onto the wolf. When it turned to snap at Ben, Beverly took that as a chance to get closer and spray more of the wolf, the flames reached its sides, and the smell of burnt fur filled the air. Ben sprayed the wolf’s face and Bev met his spray line with her fire. Just as planned, the fire from her bottle caught onto the hair spray that Ben had been spraying along the wolf’s fur, the beast’s fur caught and the fire spread throughout its entire body.

“Shit,” Mike cursed as he heard the other wolf howling in pain. Following that was the unmistakable sadistic laugh of Beverly Marsh who had indeed, set the wolf ablaze. “Burn baby burn…” Mike muttered in approval as Bev and Ben began to move away from the flaming beast.

“S-stand back,” Bill advised, he stepped forward and shot off two quick bullets, killing the wolf.

During the time that the Losers fought off the wolves, Elizah began to slowly back Eddie and Richie up until they were on the edge of the cliff. Richie was still engulfed in the orange aura as a means of keeping Eddie at bay.

Her back turned to the rest of The Losers, she assumed wrong when she thought her wolves would be able to stop them.

“You won’t get away with this,” Eddie dared to look over the edge at the crashing waves and sharp rocks that laid below the cliff. They had no room left to run, and there was no chance of them making that fall.

“Oh but I will, Edward. As long as I am at the top, no one will _ever_ find out about Ancestors and I will rule over them all and ensure that nothing ever happens to them. No one will ever leave, we will not tolerate anything else. Or else they’ll end up like your father, _dead_ ” She laughed maniacally as she raised her hand to the sky, the aura turning red as Richie’s pain increased, causing him to scream out.

 _Like your father,_ ** _dead_**. Those words hit both Eddie and Bill as they had both lost their fathers at the hands of the council.

No one noticed this, but Eddie felt it, deep within his core something opened, spilling out and filling his veins with what felt like 100 volts of electricity. He felt _charged_. Like he could swan dive off the edge of this cliff and survive. He knew his eyes were already icey blue, so why did he feel them shift _again_. He knew there was something else going on but he had bigger problems to deal with.

With that, Elizah’s back to the Losers and her attention on Richie and Eddie, Bill raised his late father’s gun, lowered his gaze, steadied his hands, aimed, and fired.

The bullet shot through the air and collided with the mistress. Her body ripelled on impact. She stumbled forward.

Richie was released from the magical bindings and nearly tripped over his own feet. Eddie dove forward to support Richie. He put one arm around Richie’s waist. The sudden weight on Eddie barely fazed him with the power that still surged through his veins. He knew he had to do something with this before he fucking exploded. Without another thought, the young rabbit extended a hand out and pushed whatever this energy was out, shooting out a bolt of magic. That was when Eddie Kaspbrak sent Elizah Brightmoon’s corpse off the edge of the cliff and into the ocean.

**Word Count: 3120**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS THERE ONLY 2 CHAPTERS LEFT OHMIGOD! I absolutely cannot believe that Everfalls is almost over. But I hope you guys have enjoyed this new chapter and all the plot twists and stuffffff GUYS I PLANNED SO MUCH STUFF TO MAKE THIS WORK AH, but i'm really happy with how this chapter turned out.  
> I think that's all from me? yeah i think so  
> so until next time  
> So Long and Goodnight.


	20. =~•Chapter 20•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie and Eddie share their first moon together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, don't forget to check out my Instagram Stellar.Cosplays and my Tumblr stellar-alley if you want to see more of me and what goes on in my life!

_Breathless_ , that’s what they were. Eddie and Richie physically couldn’t hold it in anymore. They had waited far too long and the moon's power was too strong to hold back any longer.

Eddie guided Richie away from the cliff’s edge. Once they were a safe distance away from the drop, they both fell onto the grass, _breathles_ s _._

“W-What do we do?” Bill asked. The rest of the Losers still stood in formation, but now they were not prepared to fight. Now they were concerned about their friends.

“Go” was all Eddie could say, his eyes never leaving Richie’s tired corpse.

Stan nuged Bill, tilting his head towards town as if to tell him they should start heading back. So without another word the Losers left the Ancestors in peace.

“Okay Rich, you still there? You’ve got this'' Eddie tried to smile through the pain of both his own transformation and having to watch Richie go through his. Eddie had carefully pulled Richie’s shirt off, but let Richie do the rest as dressing down was an essential part of the werewolf transformation. Shifting _with_ clothes only made things more complicated.

Dark fur that matched his ears and tail had appeared over his body as his finger nails grew and came to a sharp point. His bones were moving, snaping and changing. His eyes snapped open at the feeling of a hand on his back. His bright yellow eyes darted up to meet the icey blue ones of his boyfriend who stared at him with such love and adoration.

“You’re okay Richie, it’s almost done” Eddie assured him. But all he got as a response was a loud groan as another wave of pain hit Richie.

The final part was the most painful but the quickest. And it really did hurt like hell.

The following minute felt the same way that it does after a storm. The rain had stopped and the thunder was silenced. Richie laid on the cool grass, panting heavily but his bones had finally adjusted, and the pain had subsided.

His eyes fluttered open to see Eddie, still human. “Holly shit” Eddie practically gasped as Richie looked around at what caused the sudden shock.

He looked down and saw big brown, furry paws, _his paws_. Immediately Richie attempted to stand, but inevitably tripped and fell back down. That got a giggle from Eddie. After trying, Richie stood up on his all fours, his full wolf form. He didn’t look much different from a normal wolf, he was the size of a large dog. With thick dark brown fur and his iconic yellow eyes. His wolf ears were a bit bigger and a little harrier, while his tail was longer and fluffier.

Eddie stood up beside him and he was able to see that Richie was about hip level compared to the human Ancestor.

Richie desperately craved to make a height joke but ultimately couldn’t speak as he was, _a wolf._

Eddie bent down and ruffled the fur between Richie’s ears. Something he had done to his boyfriend countless times before when he was human. Richie shook his head as if to get rid of Eddie’s hand. Eddie huffed, but he still smiled.

Carefully Eddie bent down and placed his forehead against Richie’s. The thick fur tickled his forehead as he smiled. Eddie’s long bunny ears tipped forward and brushed up against Richie’s wolf ears, sending a shiver down his back.

A moment passed before a wave of pain hit Eddie, he doubled backwards, falling onto his back. Richie rushed to his side, nudging his arm with his snout as Eddie rolled over.

Transforming on a full moon was fairly similar to the way Eddie transformed normally, except it was forced, causing more pain. Once Eddie was on his back he curled his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around himself. The pain soon intensified as he felt the magic ripple through his body. It was all worth it as after a flash, Eddie had completed his transformation.

Richei stared down at the rabbit that stood before him. He had completely forgotten how cute his boyfriend was as a rabbit. His soft white fur, his little red nose and his wittle paws! Aw Richie would give anything to go back to the day where it was just them, alone, in the school yard. Eddie as a rabbit in Richie’s lap. But now isn't the time to reminisce on the past. It was the full moon, and they had both finally transformed. Richie was practically bouncing up and down as excitent coursed through his veins.

Eddie looked up at the hulking wolf figure that towered over him. _Dear God, Richie is like a massive puppy_. Richie stepped forward, bowed his head and bopped his big brown nose against Eddie’s small pink one, just like he had before.

Eddie had refrained from transforming _just_ long enough to be able to help Richie through his transformation and give him some good pets. He deserved it after all the shit he had been through.

Eddie mentally blushed. He mentally smirked as he noticed Richie’s ears twitching with excitement and adrenaline. That's when Eddie thought of what to do next, as it was the full moon, he knew what made him feel the best so he nudged Richie paw as if to _tag_ him. Then, they _ran_.

~

 _Finally_ , being a full wolf felt _amazing_. Richie felt like the world had finally lifted off of his shoulders. It was as if he had unlocked another part of his being that he had never been able to access until he finally fully shifted.

Also the fact that he didn’t have to experience it alone made him feel so much better. Eddie made him feel so safe, so _accepted_. He didn’t have to hide his secret. For once in his life he felt almost normal.

At first Richie was a little wobbly in his new wolf form. He had to get used to running on all fours. Richie fell a few times, tripped over his own paws, and at one point stopped and chased his tail like a puppy. (Eddie nearly died of laughter while watching that) Also there was the whole _no speaking_ thing, which just kinda led to a lot of inner monologuing and weird wolf noises.

The two walked along to shoreline, paws sinking in the moist sand under their weight. Ricchie leaned over and pushed Eddie into the oncoming wave. The bunny rolled over at the push and landed in the water on his back. He let out a huff before he leaped back up and tackled richie, pinning him to the ground.

 _Silly wolf, doesn't even know his own strength._ Eddie laughed in his head. Suddenly Eddie was popped off of Richie, tossed into the air, landing face first into the wet, _cold_ sand.

Richie sat up, panting mancially as if he were laughing at the sand that was caught in Eddie’s whiskers.

 _Oh, you’re so on,_ Eddie smirked before he charged Richie.

The wolf caught on just before he was tackled, quickly turning and sprinting in the other direction. But Eddie was lighter and has had more time to learn and master his abilities. So he easily caught up to the young wolf. Eddie leaped into the air, landed on the wolf’s back and brought him down to the ground. The two rolled around as if they were in a fit of laughter. Which they would've been if they could talk.

Afterwards they made their way closer to town. Richie had once joked about terrorizing the villagers, and now he intended to do it. They examined the town as they carefully krept up the hill. It was well past midnight so most if not all of the lights from the buildings were out. The streets were illuminated by a couple street lamps, which allowed just enough light to navigate through the town but didn’t cause enough light pollution to block out the stars.

They approached the town with caution, their movements quiet and slow. One paw after another. They stopped dead in their tracks at the muffled sounds of teenage laughter.

 _Shit who the hell is out at this time of night?_ Richie’s ears perked up as he tried to pick up what they were saying.

“Do you think that’s them?” One voice that sounded pretty _damn_ familiar giggled.

“Eddie’s so much smaller than him-”.

“It’s _so_ cute!”

The Ancestors looked up to find a group of teens loitering suspiciously behind one of the dark buildings. It seemed almost as if they were _waiting_ for the Ancestors.

Richie bent down and nudged the side of his head up against Eddie’s. Then nodded towards the group before stepping forwards towards them. Slowly they made their way up to the Losers who stayed silent during the meantime.

“H-How can we be suh-suh-sure it’s them?” Bill whispered tentatively. He stood behind the group, his form tense.

“What other wolf hangs out with a rabbit?” Ben turned to Bill with a confused look on his face.

Without another word, Beverly bent down to be at eye level with the wolf. She kept her gaze stern and serious. She stared into the wolf’s yellow eyes and watched as they examined her. Beverly didn’t flinch as the wolf stepped closer to her, then proceeded to bow his head to her. But when he raised his head, he butted her boob with the tip of his snout.

Beverly let out a shock yet amused gasp. “Oh my god, Richie you perv!” She fell back onto her butt in a fit of giggles. “That's our trashmouth alright” she declared.

Richie sat down and nodded his head at the statement.

Bill followed Beverly’s lead and kneeled down beside Eddie. The human carefully examined the bunny’s white fur and long ears. Finally his eyes met Eddie’s and he _knew_. He’d know those eyes anywhere.“Y-Yeah. It’s them” Bill confirmed.

“Well… I was gonna wait to give this to you tomorrow. But considering today’s events, now seems like a good time” Stan explained as he began rifling through his pocket.

The others shot him curious stares until he let out a little ‘aha’ when he had finally found it. What Stnaley pulled out of his pocket changed the energy of the group, from quiet and tense it went to curious and excited.

Stan squeaked the yellow rubber chicken. It let out a quick _Eh Err_ , squeak like sound. In the moment that followed Stan mirrored one of Richie’s shit eating smiles smiles that he knew all too well.

“Oh my god- _Seriously_ ” Mike chuckled, placing a hand on Stan’s shoulder.

Richie stared at Stan, rolled his eyes and let out a huff.

_Good one Staniel,_ _very_ _fucking funny_

The wolf glanced over at his bunny and noticed the way his little pinked nose twitched, similar to the way Eddie’s did when he was laughing in his human form. That made things just a _little_ bit better.

Richie’s attention was brought back to the Losers when Stan squeaked the chicken again.

“Wanna play fetch boys?” He arched an eyebrow deviously.

Richie didn’t respond, he simply stared aimlessly at them. Eddie got up and took a couple steps back, he turned to look at Stan as if to say, _Well come on!_

Stan took a step back and moved his hand up, preparing to throw. With one swift toss over his head, he threw the chicken, and it went _far_. Stan was on the baseball team after all, so he finally got to put his skills to work.

Eddie gave Richie one finale glance, challenging him almost, then he bolted.

Richie hesitated, he looked between his friends, and the rabbit. Just as Eddie was leaving the reach of the town’s light Richie got up and chased after him. He ran through the long grass, paws pounding against the dirt as he let his instincts lead him to the chicken.

Before he even got there a flash of white shot past him. Richie did a double take, spinning to turn around and watch as the rabbit zoomed back up to the group. He didn’t need to take time like he had before to know to go after him. So before another moment passed, Richie went. He _ran_. 

**Word Count: 2038**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second last chapter, done. Holy shit guys I cannot belive next week is already the finale! This is so wild. But let's focus on the present, it's Friday again, yay! I hope you guys have a great weekend and take some time to relax okay? I know life can be really stressfull right now so take some time for yourself, read a good fan fic, vibe, play Among Us, damn that's a good game lol. 
> 
> And as always don't forget to like, comment, tell all your friends and go check out my other stuff on my profile! 
> 
> That's all from me guys, until next time
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


	21. =~•Chapter 21•~=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Finale

The sun rose on that Saturday morning to find two Ancestors that had shifted back to their human forms.

They ended the night with the Losers in the forest during an intense game of hide and seek. They woke up the next morning cuddled on the beach together. Eddie laid on Richie's chest, their legs tangled up. Both of their ears out. Eddie had his hand placed over Richie’s heart as he listened to it beat inside of his chest. He felt the calming sensation of his boyfriends chest rising and falling. Richie laid nude on the beach with his boyfriend cuddled up on top of him. His wolf tail was half buried in the sand. The dark sand felt cool and moist on his bare back. He had both of his arms wrapped around the fully clothed Ancestor on his chest. The smaller boy was warm, his body gave off enough heat for the both of them.

(Richie needed to undress for his transformation as his was messier. When Eddie’s is more magical. Which allowed him to keep his clothes)

“G’morning” Richie whispered in his deep morning voice when Eddie’s eyes fluttered open.

“Hey” Eddie’s face had been emotionless and peaceful while he slept, now it softened at the sight of his boyfriend. He smiled softly, “How are you feeling? Any aches?” His voice came out low, almost a whisper.

“No I-I’m actually okay… More than okay” Richie’s face broke out into a smile, leaning up, lightly kissing Eddie’s lips. One of his hands wandered up to play with Eddie’s messy hair.

“Good, that’s good. We should go back to the hotel before they realize we’re gone” Eddie hesitated before he rolled off of Richie. “Oh- _shit_ you’re naked” Eddie groaned.

Richie snorted, “What it’s not anything you haven’t seen before” he chuckled.

Eddie’s brow creased, he began to take his sweater off, the pullover one he had brought on the trip since he knew that the temperature dropped the closer you were to big bodies of water. “Take this asshole” Eddie tossed the sweater at Richie who made over dramatic kissing sounds in return.

Nonetheless Richie accepted the sweater, grateful to not be 100% nude on the beach now. He sat up and pulled the sweater over his head. Eddie had a thing for larger sweaters which was fortunate because it fit Richie almost perfectly. He cuddled it closer for a moment, inhaling a scent he was all too familiar with. Rain, evergreen, lilacs, _Eddie_.

“Let’s get going. I wanna be the first one on that bus, and off this fucking island before they find that damn body-“ Eddie cut himself off, knowing that he’d work himself up if he were to continue.

Richie got to his feet, dusted the sand off of his ass and legs. “Which they won’t. That bitch is swimming with the fishes” Richie made a wave motion with his arm, pointed out towards the ocean.

“Whatever” Eddie shut his eyes and shook his head. His soft curls shook from side to side with him, his bunny ears bopping with the motion. The humidity in the air had made Eddie’s normally straight (ish) hair curl into soft little waves that made Richie’s heart skip a beat.

Richie stepped up towards Eddie and wrapped him in a warm hug. Eddie buried his head into Richie’s chest. The taller boy laid his check on top of the others head.

“Seriously though we should go back-“ Eddie said, mufflered by the sweater.

“Oh god!” Richie barked out a laugh, “You really know how to ruin a moment don’t you?” He smiled down at Eddie once they pulled apart.

Eddie rolled his eyes. He stood up on his tippy toes to kiss Richie’s lips before he intertwined their fingers. “Come on sour wolf!” Eddie called out as he began leading Richie back towards town.

~

They snuck Richie in through the back entrance and hid Richie in the bathroom since he was only wearing a hoodie and literally nothing else. So they had to shove his tail into the back of Eddie’s sweater and pull the hoodie on to hide his wolf ears. Which meant Eddie had to run up to their room without being seen by any of the adults and grab Richie’s clothes. But since Eddie gave RIchie his sweater, he had nothing to hide his bunny ears with, so he ended up sneaking around the hotel with his shirt pulled up over the back of his head like a nun.

After Eddie got Richie to dress down the night prior, he had left them in a neat pile in the grass, along with his hat and glasses and Stanley had taken them back to the room so they wouldn’t get lost.

After about the fifth knock he finally heard the distant sounds of footsteps approaching the door. The door creaked as it opened. Stanley only stuck his head out, which gave Eddie more than enough context on what he and Bill were up to previously. The messy hair, the raw lips, and that little dark patch on Stan’s neck that kinda looked like a hickey.

“Oh” Stanley said, shocked to see him. “Morning” He said, eyes wide.

“You guys having fun in there?” Eddie smirked with raised eyebrows.

Stan sighed and rolled his eyes, his head disappeared for a moment before he shoved the pile of clothes at Eddie. “Go” He growled light heartedly as he leaned out just enough to show some bare chest.

Eddie tried to lean in to see more, “Wait are you naked-“.

“Begone!” Stan declared before closing the door in Eddie’s face.

Eddie had to hold a hand over his mouth to refrain from laughing. He took a moment to collect himself before he went back down to that main bathroom in the lobby where he found Richie aimlessly playing with the agalets of his sweater.

“Here” Eddie tossed them at Richie whoo hastily caught most of it.

“Merci Monsieur” Richie said in his best (Worst) french accent. He closed the stall door and began getting dressed.

Eddie leaned his back up against the door and waited a beat before “Stan and Big Bill finally got together” Eddie giggled.

“Shut. Up. Really?” Richie suddenly opened the stall door, causing Eddie to stumble as that’s what he was leaning on. Richie still was not wearing anything aside from the sweater so Eddie’s eyes immediately shot up to meet his boyfriend’s which were wide and in shock.

“Yes really! Now put some pants on” Eddie laughed and pushed Richie back into the stall before he closed the door once again. He could hear Richie giggling from inside the stall. “Hurry up we need to make it so _no one_ finds out we left” Eddie tried to keep a straight tone.

Richie finished changing and gave Eddie his sweater back so he could hide his own ears. He followed Eddie out of the bathroom and back to their room. But just as they rounded the corner in the main hallway leading to their room, they saw Mr Brock talking to Mrs Stuart in the dead center of the hallway.

“Shit!'' Eddie yelped. He quickly shut his mouth and yanked Richie back to the other side of the corner with him. “How the hell are we gonna get passed him?” He wondered.

“Uhh- Here let me try something…” Richie’s voice drifted off as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and started sending out a text.

“What are you-“

“Wait” Richie held up a hand as if to silence Eddie.

“-What?”

Richie raised his eyebrows but kept his eyes on his phone, “Keep waiting!”.

They both stopped at the sudden sound of a door creaking open. The boys peaked around the corner and witnessed Beverly Marsh come out of her room with a blanket around her waist. They used their _other_ ears to tune in.

“-I don’t have any! And none of the other girls have any” Beverly complained.

“Are you sure you have uh- _it?_ ” Mr Brock asked, he uncomfortably shifted from one foot to another.

“Yes of course I’m fucking sure! Do you honestly think I wouldn’t know when I got my damn period” Bev gritted her teeth.

“Ms Marsh please keep your voice down” Mr Brock tried to smile but failed.

Beverly glanced over her shoulder and sent a glare towards the boys, telling them ‘ _go now’._

“Beverly I must have some on me” Mrs Stuart began rifling through her purse.

Richie took Eddie’s hand and slowly began creeping behind the teachers backs towards their room.

Beverly kept them distracted long enough until they made it to the door. Then just as they slid into their room, Beverly clutched her stomach and nodded to whatever they had been saying. Mrs Stuart got something out of her purse and discreetly handed it towards Beverly, she took it gratefully and shuffled back into her room.

the moment the door closed to the boys room, they were met with a burst of gasps. Richie and Eddie looked to see who was the source of said gasps and found Bill and Stan, making out on the bed, shirtless.

“OH DEAR GOD!” RIchie exclaimed. He fanned his face as if he were an old victorian woman.

“Get a room!” Eddie groaned.

Stanley rolled off of Bill, nearly falling off of the bed while doing so.

Bill cracked a grin, “We-well we _did_ have one-“

“Yeah before you came!” Stan shot back from where he was on the edge of the bed, obviously a little pissed by the interruption.

Bill waved him off, “H-How was the fuh-fuh-full moon?” Bill asked curiously.

Eddie’s face went blank, as did his head.

Neither of them had time to respond because their door opened seconds after. “Hello- Oh! Good to see you boys are already ready! The tide rises in 20 so let’s get going” He motioned for them to get a move on.

Stanley and Bill quickly pulled their shirts on and packed the little things they had out. Since they only had their school supplies because they hadn't planned to stay the night. Everyone was ready and they left the room to meet up with the rest of the group down in the main lobby.

The rest of The Losers greeted them excitedly, happy to see they made it out in one piece. But no one directly asked about it, everyone complained about their shitty sleep and how excited they were to get off of this island. Eddie momentality zoned out and tuned into the conversation that the main bellhop was having with Janet the tour guide.

“Have you seen Elizah this morning?” He asked quietly, but nothing was ever quiet enough for Eddie to hear.

“No… Last night she left in a hurry, said she had some unfinished business to get to” Janet shrugged, not given any further information.

The hair on the back of Eddie’s neck stood tall as his body froze. Apparently Richie was listening too, he slung his arm around Eddie’s shoulders and pulled him a little closer. Just then the teachers began leading the group to the exit, towards the busses. “Let’s get on this bus and out of here” He whispered down to Eddie.

The bus ride home was quiet. The Losers talked about the first 20 minutes, but not about the full moon, they knew that this was certainly _not_ the place to do it. Ben and Mike were the only ones who stayed awake out of the seven Losers. On the way back Beverly opted to sit alone because she and the girls in her room stayed up until 4 binging the newest season of Turtle Creek on TV. During that time Ben introduced Mike to The Jonas Brothers, he explained the enteried of their TV show, _Jonas_ and the storyline to both _Camp Rock_ movies. They also listened to some of their first albums with Ben’s dual headphone adapter. Mike was happily surprised at how much he enjoyed their music.

When they finally reached Derry High, it was noon. All of the students rushed off of the bus, nearly trampling over Mr Brock in the process.

Maggie and Wentworth Tozier had taken the day off work (as they usually do the day after the full moon) to go see their son. They had found a spot near the back of the parking lot and waited anxiously with the rest of the parents in the loading area. When the bus pulled up the two parents’ nerves only escalated the longer they watched students pile off of the bus and split up in little groups.

 _Finally_ , they saw the all too familiar sight of their lanky son in his oversized hat and baggy sweater.

“Richie!” Maggie nearly gasped as she pulled Went with her towards him.

Richie sped up once he saw his parents,“Hey” his voice wavered as he was slightly overwhelmed by his emotions. That was when he realized how _exhausted_ he was. A full moon, little to no sleep, _and_ an encounter with an evil witch? That can really drain someone.

Maggie ran to her son and pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay” She whispered, almost in tears.

Richie felt another pair of arms wrap around him, recognizing them almost immediately as his father’s long, strong arms.

Eddie had let Richie run ahead of him when he spotted his parents. He felt a feeling of longing wash over him when Richie pulled his arm away from him. He watched as Richie was enveloped in a massive hug by his _two, loving_ , parents. His heart ached as he could almost see the love radiate off of their little group hug.

After a moment, Went loosened up, tilted his head upwards and glanced up at Eddie. “Come on in here, son” He requested as he opened an arm up, making room for Eddie.

He looked up at them, his heart swelling, “Oh No, I don’t mean to intrude” Eddie slowly shook his head.

Maggie turned her head and her gaze landed on Eddie, “Come here Eddie” She smiled warmly, something he never got from his mother. “You’re a part of the family now”.

And with that, Eddie couldn’t hold in the tears any longer. His eyesight blurred as the tears welled in his eyes. He didn’t respond, only nodded quickly and with a wobbly smile he rushed into their big hug. _Family. Finally._

**~**

“... So I had to leave, unless I wanted to die. I came here, like my dad did. And I found Richie” He glanced down at their intertwined fingers. “And all you guys” Eddie looked around at all of The Losers who surrounded him, his real family.

It was now Sunday. The day after The Losers returned home from their very eventful field trip to the small island of Balmoral. As the group had lots to talk about, Eddie agreed that it was best that they all meet up at the entrance of the forest so he’d be able to show them the way to his house. Now they sat on the couch in the late Frank Kaspbrak’s house.

“But you guys can’t tell _anyone_. Seriously, we’d be in deep shit if anyone ever found out about this” Richie informed them, gesturing to his wolf tail that swayed freely behind him.

Bill nodded approvingly, “O-Of course! Right guys?” He looked at the others who all nodded with him.

“Yeah- oh my god, Eddie that’s terrible” Beverly’s eyes looked sad. She had been through her fair share of family troubles so she (almost) understood what Eddie was going through.

Ben nodded and gave her a solemn smile, carefully placing his hand on top of hers on the couch. He gave her hand a small squeeze that caused the corner of her lips to curl up a little. “Your secret is safe with us” He told them.

“Yeah of course! Losers stick together, right?” Mike’s tone changed a little. It was a little happier than the others which was a nice change.

“Right” Bill smiled.

“I’ve kept the secret this long, and I can’t really stop now” Stan stated as he sat up to put his elbows on his knees.

“Oh yeah- How did Stan find out before the rest of us?” Beverly piped up. Her hand turned over to lace her and Ben’s fingers together. The tips of Ben’s ears burned as he glanced down at them.

Richie had opened his mouth, ready to start talking but Stan spoke instead. “He lost his temper after I whooped his ass at checkers” Stan grinned proudly as he sat up tall. He got some good chuckels for that.

“Hey! You were so cheating” Richie protested as Eddie rolled his eyes from beside him.

“Whatever,” Stan waved his hand, “Your eyes still changed and your fangs came out” he reminded the wolf.

“Yeah we’re gonna have to practise that Chee” Eddie chimed in as he also recalled the various times Richie has wolfed out on him. Of course things would be easier now that Richie has now gone through his first full transformation but now he has to learn to control the shift. If not, that can lead to some very _bad_ situations.

“Chee? Oh yeah forgot you guys are dating” Beverly smirked, “When did that start?” She wondered.

“It hasn't been _that_ long” Richie blushed. He lovingly looked at his boyfriend and smiled.

A beat passed where the Losers just sat in comfortable silence. Bill was the first one to speak up and break the silence “Wuh-What about the Council?” He asked.

Eddie almost froze. After everything, he’s getting better at discussing the council, also seeing Elizah Brightmoon fall off a fucking cliff helped calm his nerves. “We took out Elizah… So I think we should be okay” He shrugged.

“But what about the rest of the council? They wouldn’t be called a council if it was just one person” Stanley pointed out.

“No, there are others. But what was she saying about a force to keep everyone in? And all that stuff about your dad” Richie didn’t dig too deep on the subject of Frank Kaspbrak as he knew it was still a sensitive topic for Eddie.

Eddie glanced away as he recalled an old memory, “The Council always wanted to keep The Ancestors safe. And once they had this crazy plan to make a forcefield so strong and powerful that it would basically forever separate the two worlds” He shivered at the thought. “My dad though… He fought it. It was a weak idea to begin with, they didn’t have the means to make something so powerful so it was an easy idea to dismantle. But what she said about my dad- I knew he had power, but a high priest? That’s a totally different level of power. And to think that I might be able to obtain some of that…” Eddie let his voice drift off as he looked down at his hands. Hoping that maybe they had the answers written there the whole time.

“What if they cuh-cuh-come after us?” Bill’s stutter intensified at the thought.

Richie shook his head, “They have no way of tying us to her death. Even if they do find that body it’ll be all raw and mangled” He smirked at the thought.

Eddie straightened up and looked around at his boyfriend and his closest friends, “But if they do- We’re The Losers, we’ll figure it out… We always do.”

_**The End** _

**Word Count: 3266**

**Total word Count: 62623**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holly.Shit. Wow, I really can’t believe Everfalls is done, it’s over…   
> This story was my first big fan fic for the IT fandom, and the funny thing is, this started off as a one shot. Literally! I found Shark Teeth on instagram and said I’d write a one shot about their art (with their permission ofc) and I got 44 pages in when my buddie, Reagan, pointed out that one shots are almost never that long. So I made it into a fan fic. And that fan fic was a truly amazing adventure and I’m oh so very happy with the final product and how everything turned out. I planned each chapter so carefully and made sure everyone was in character so I hope you guys liked it!
> 
> Thank you to my two amazing betas, Rose and Richie! You guys gave me feedback and your true opinions on each chapter and I truly appreciate both of you!
> 
> At the end of the day, I think it’s pretty fitting that I wrote this final chapter on the night of a full moon, it really added to the atmosphere.  
> Let me know if you’d like a sequel! I’ve got some ideas in mind but I’ve gotta make sure people want it before I start anything. So comment! IF over 15 people want more, then more they shall receive!
> 
> As this is the final chapter I’ve gotta remind you guys to go check out my other social medias, Instagram (Stellar.Cosplays), Tumblr, (stellar-cosplays), even my youtube (Alley’s World). Also don’t forget to check out my other fan fictions! Here’s my master list, or go check out my account and you’ll find them all there.
> 
> THis story means so much to me and I’m so happy I got to share it with you guys. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Once again, thank you all so much for everything.
> 
> For the final time, that’s all from me, catch you on the flip side.
> 
> So Long and Goodnight.


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